The Fiery Hero
by Myra109
Summary: As the second Titan War kicks off, Leo finds himself dealing with more visions and more dreams than ever before. Being kidnapped, nearly dying a dozen times, and battling a hand full of titans... let's just say, Leo's got his work cut out for him. Sequel to Labyrinth of Fate, AU
1. The Princess Andromeda

_And the sequel begins with a bang!_

 ** _Disclaimer: I own nothing._**

* * *

"You should've seen your faces, man!" Leo laughed.

Percy blushed. "Shut up."

After Leo left camp, he found Percy sitting in a car with Rachel Dare from the Labyrinth, their lips a few mere inches apart.

Now, Leo could've watched this quick kiss to be polite, but does that sound like Leo? I think not.

Instead, he landed Blackjack right on the hood of the car, indenting the metal a little bit, and scaring the life out of Rachel and Percy.

Now, Percy was on the back of Blackjack, right behind Leo, as the said child of Hephaestus teased him, mercilessly.

"Anyway, seen the ship yet?" Percy asked.

"Yep, the monster's right there," Leo answered, pointing to the tiny dot in the middle of the Bay that was the Princess Andromeda. "Are you ready for this?"

"Ready as I'll ever be."

Leo smiled, a tad bit sadly. "That's what I told Nyssa," he murmured before he dived.

They landed on the deck, well away from the monsters that were on the main deck and underneath the ship.

Leo leaned close to Blackjack and whispered so low that Percy wouldn't be able to hear him.

"Come back here in twenty minutes. If we're not here, return to camp and do your best to tell them that Percy will be on his way shortly."

Blackjack snorted in a questioning manner, but Leo didn't answer. He just patted the Pegasus and sent him on his way.

"Let's do this," Percy muttered before the pair marched inside.

As soon as they arrived below deck, Leo set to work, strapping the explosives to every object within his reach.

"How long do you think it will take?"

"Max of five minutes," Leo grunted, strapping another bomb to the consol.

Leo stopped.

"Why'd you stop?" Percy demanded.

"Shh, listen," Leo hissed.

Sure enough, voices rang near, as did some shuffling as monsters roamed about near to where the demigods stood.

"Did you hear them? Watch out for demigods?" One voice barked a laugh.

"Yeah, like demigods could get within a mile of this ship, much less get on it," a second voice chuckled.

"Hah, watch out for demigods," the first voice repeated.

"I'm gonna go distract them," Percy whispered.

Leo wanted to fight him on it, tell him that it wasn't necessary, but for his plan to work, Percy had to go.

"Kay, good luck, and don't get killed," Leo growled, daring to raise his voice slightly.

Percy smirked. "Not planning on it, Valdez," he said before he rushed off.

Leo turned back to his project and lit his hand alight, slowly pressing it to one of his own explosives, watching as it turned from red to blue to white. This would cause the flames the bombs gave off to be twice as hot, killing even the fire retardant Cyclopi.

As long as Percy got off the ship, they'd be fine.

But what if he doesn't? That nasty little voice in the back of his head muttered.

 _Shut up, I have thought of every possible thing that could go wrong and worked out a solution_ , Leo thought.

For example, Percy not getting off the ship in time. Leo had slipped a small protective device into his pocket when he hopped on Blackjack, one that would create a fire proof force field and protect him from the majority of the explosion. The worst he could get were a few burns that the water would heal up just fine.

Or that one of the monsters would find the explosives. Leo pulled out the invisibility sheet. This was somewhat like the invisble cloak from Harry Potter, but it also created an illusion that would make the area seem absolutely normal. No one could see the shape of the explosives or feel them or the material of the cloak. If Leo survived this, he'd have to thank Lou Ellen for adding the illusion effect.

Monsters captured Leo? Great, that was part of the plan.

BANG! The sound of fighting could be heard upstairs, and Leo prayed Percy would keep them busy for a few more moments.

He grabbed another device. It was an explosive, but it was a different kind of explosive. It would maim even Kronos with the force of the explosion, and it should buy the camp some time.

He strapped it to the consol, grabbed the sack, and headed for the stairs.

Leo made a big show of looking sneaky, ducking behind objects and through doors. When he saw an empousa, he turned and started heading for the engine room.

"Well, lookie here," the empousa muttered. "A demigod all by his lonesome. Grab him boys."

There were three monsters and a demigod there. The demigod was a blonde boy with Runes drawn on his pants, allowing Leo to identify him as a child of Hecate.

He made a big show of fighting them off by drawing his hammer and battling the trio of monsters, but he didn't fight near to his best ability.

By the end, he was covered in cuts and bruises with a swollen eye. The empousa ripped off his armor, taking some of his shirt with it. Luckily, they hadn't thought to take his tool belt; he was gonna need that if things went wrong.

"Have you set up the explosives yet?" The empousa asked.

Leo shook his head, spitting out blood.

"The bag is still full," one giant grunted.

Two giants (Malcom told him about these: Laistrygonians) grabbed him by his arms and dragged him towards the stairs.

 _This plan better work,_ Leo thought.

When the giants shoved him onto the deck, he prayed even harder.

It was worse in real life. Clusters of monsters stood around him, and on the balcony was Percy, standing across from Kronos.

"LEO!" Percy shouted, sounding distressed. "Let him go!"

"Why would we do that after we went through so much trouble to capture him?" The empousa asked.

Leo glanced at his watch, praying that Percy was smart enough to put the pieces together.

He was relieved when his friend's sea green eyes widened in realization.

"We found him amidships," one of the giants said, "trying to sneak to the engine room. Can we eat him now?"

"Soon." Kronos scowled at a demigod standing across from him.. "Are you sure he didn't set the explosives?"

"He was going toward the engine room, my lord."

"How do you know that?"

"Er . . ." The demigod shifted uncomfortably. "He was heading in that direction. And he told us. His bag is still full of explosives."

Percy's eyes widened more if possible.

Kronos hesitated.

"Open his bag," Kronos ordered.

One of the giants ripped the explosives satchel from Leo's shoulders. He peered inside, grunted, and turned it upside down. Panicked monsters surged backward. If the bag really had been full of explosives, they would've all blown up. But what fell out were a dozen cans of peaches.

"Did you, perhaps," he said, "capture this demigod near the galley?"

The demigod near Kronos turned pale. "Um—"

"And did you, perhaps, send someone to actually CHECK THE ENGINE ROOM?"

The demigod scrambled back in terror, then turned on his heels and ran.

Percy turned to Leo, a silent question in his eyes: _how long_?

Leo made a circle with his hand: _zero_.

Kronos turned towards Percy with a crooked smile. "You'll have to excuse my incompetent help, Percy Jackson. But it doesn't matter. We have you now. We've known you were coming for weeks."

He held up something that Leo couldn't see.

Percy muttered something about a spy.

Kronos chuckled. "You can't count on friends. They will always let you down. Luke learned that lesson the hard way. Now drop your sword and surrender to me, or your friend dies."

One of the giants put his hand around Leo's neck while the other continued to rummage through the sack, meaning Leo's left hand was free. He reached for his watch.

 _Go!_ He mounted to Percy, who shook his head.

 _Damn his loyalty,_ Leo thought.

Then by the swimming pool, one of the dracaenae hissed, "What isss he doing? What isss that on hisss wrissst?"

Leo brought his hand up to his watch.

Percy threw his sword like a javelin at Kronos. It bounced harmlessly off his chest, but it did startle him. He pushed through a crowd of monsters and jumped off the side of the ship—toward the water a hundred feet below.

The world exploded, putting Leo in one of the hottest fires he'd ever been in. He could almost feel it's burn.

The world went black.

* * *

 _Also, remember that Ethan has been captured. How'd you like it? Bye!_

 ** _Trivia:_**

 ** _What is the name of the Anti-Poseidon giant?_**


	2. A Plan That Both Works and Backfires

_Hello, everyone, I'm back with an extra long chapter!_

 _If you've read Powerless by Matthew Cody, see if you can catch my reference. If you can, I'll give you a character in the story!_

 ** _Disclaimer: I own nothing... not even Leo. Why do you continue to depress me, Disclaimer!?_**

* * *

When Leo woke up, he expected to be washed up on some shore somewhere, maybe with people leaning over him, maybe not. Or possibly still floating in the water, among the wreck of the Princess Andromeda.

He did not expect to wake up in a jail cell.

The cell was small, small enough for Leo to feel claustrophobic. The walls were of black and smooth stone with little cracks or rough patches. There were no windows, only a steel door of sorts directly in front of Leo. There was nothing in the cell except for a thin blanket that provided little warmth to the soaked demigod.

The door was opened by the demigod from the ship. Leo recognized his blonde hair and emerald eyes. Now that he was up close, Leo could see that he was wearing a black shirt and blue jeans with doodles all over them- Runes.

A child of Hecate, Leo realized.

"Good to see you're awake," he growled, kicking Leo in the ribs and making the already sore boy curl in on himself. "Weak."

"W-Where am I?" Leo cursed himself when he stammered.

"That's for me to know, and you to find out. All you need to know is that you are in the Titan Lord's custody, and I highly doubt you'll leave alive."

"That's comforting," Leo said, sarcastically, getting some of his famous spunk back.

The boy kicked him in the ribs again. "I wouldn't get too mouthy. The Titan Lord asked for us to bring you here alive; that cannot mean good things for you. Now, get up."

Leo used the wall to push himself to his feet, noticing for the first time that his hands were bound with some kind of glowing rope the color of steel.

"What is this?" He questioned.

"My brother made it. It shuts off your fire powers as long as you wear it. We can't have you burning us to a crisp, now can we?"

Well, there goes that plan, Leo thought.

The boy forced him to walk along, past glaring monsters and demigods that either stared at him with pity or rage.

Finally, the pair arrived at a steel door, and the boy knocked.

"You may enter," a frigid voice that sounded both young and old as time echoed through the chamber, despite the fact that the being had only whispered.

The boy shoved Leo inside and followed him, slamming and locking the door behind them.

The body of Luke Castellon (presently hosting Kronos) was seated upon a throne of stone as black as midnight, the same material as the walls that made this fortress/palace/thing. Whatever this place was.

"Hello, little fire user."

"Hello, Luke or Kronos or bastard or whatever you want to be called," Leo snapped. Maybe it wasn't the best idea to insult his captor, but seriously, you try being even remotely polite to the person that kidnapped you and tried to kill your friends!

The boy shuffled, nervously, from behind him, but Kronos simply chuckled.

"Ah, you are brave. You have some nerve, humor... I will enjoy ridding you of it."

"Sorry, dude, but many people have tried and no one has succeeded," Leo snarked. "And you're not gonna be the one to do so."

"We'll see about that. Maria!" He shouted, gesturing to an empousa that Leo hadn't noticed until now. "Bring me TW10. Now."

"With pleasure, my Lord," Maria smirked with a cruel expression, a horrible smile that sent shivers up Leo's spine.

As the vampire girl exited the room, Kronos turned back to Leo, smiling a grin that reminded Leo, rather fittingly, of the Grinch on those cartoons he used to watch.

"Now, Leo, I would love to hear all about your plan to destroy my ship. It was rather clever," Kronos stated. "Shockingly clever. What was the entire plan?"

"Oh, it was rather simple. Break in, and blow it up. Geesh, and I thought you were smart," Leo taunted.

That got Kronos angry. Before Leo knew it, a hand connected with his face with the force of a freight train, sending him flying across the room and crashing into the wall.

"I'd watch your tongue, boy. After all, I have the power to kill you or not. Which would you prefer?"

Leo didn't say a word. He just glared with all his might.

"Now, show me."

"Show you what?"

"Your powers, boy, how dumb can you get? Trent, remove his bonds," Kronos snarled.

Trent moved to do so with cautious hands, never taking his eyes off Leo in case he decided to burst into flames.

Leo had to come up with a plan and fast.

I could show him my powers, but not their full extent. After all, conceal your strengths until they're truly needed.

Leo shook his head. I have been hanging out with Annabeth too much, he thought.

He held out his hand and allowed a small ball of orange flames to appear in his palm, dancing around and illuminating the walls.

"And?" Kronos demanded.

"That's really all I can do on the summoning part. As for immunity, I've been practicing that," Leo answered, closing his hand in a fist and extinguishing the flames.

"You would have to to survive that explosion you caused. Some of the Cyclopi even burned, which should be impossible."

Leo smirked as he met Kronos's eyes (or Luke's, depending on how you look at it). "Oh, Kronos, I don't think you realize, but impossible is not in my vocabulary."

Kronos nodded. "Determined. Daring. Brave. I like you. You may be useful once I've broken you."

Leo rolled his eyes. "If you think that I'm going to serve you, you're dreaming."

"Oh, don't worry, boy, I'll make sure you change your mind. Now, tell me. What was your entire plan?"

Leo thought about it. "Well, break in, set up the explosives, get captured, set the explosion off after I warned Percy, and that's about it."

"I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that getting captured was not part of the plan?"

Leo shrugged. "Nope, but I've learned to work with what I've got and that there is a way out of everything, even kidnapping."

"Wise... are you sure you're not a child of Athena?"

"Not that I know of," Leo responded.

"And what of your mother? Dead? Didn't want you? I know you're a year round camper. Surely, you have a reason."

Leo gritted his teeth. "She died when I was eight."

"She's a lucky duck, not having to deal with you for thirteen years," Kronos smirked.

Kronos was baiting him, and Leo knew it. He was trying to get a Leo angry, to get him to show his true powers and rage. To show that Leo was just like his sick twisted army. But Leo wouldn't allow that, so he kept his mouth shut.

"She should've killed you the second you were born. Both of you would've been better off."

Leo bit his tongue in his effort to keep his lips closed while he clenched his fists to control the flames that threatened to sprout out of him any second. The flames that would consume Kronos and that awful child of Hecate...

Leo shook his head. Use your powers to help. Never hurt. While Leo may help people by getting rid of who appeared to be Kronos's right hand man, he would not do so when angry. He'd do it for the right reasons and not because he was enraged at Kronos for bringing up his mother.

Thankfully (or not-that was still undetermined), Maria chose that moment to walk in, and the three of them turned to face her.

Leo's heart stopped dead.

Maria was holding a whip, a thick braided whip that could easily tear Leo to shreds.

"Maria, thank you. Now, boy, it's about time you started answering some of my questions."

And that's when the true torture session began.

* * *

Percy coughed as he stumbled onto the shore of Camp Half Blood, his lungs still weak from all the smoke he couldn't help but inhale after the explosion.

He looked up to see Connor Stoll, who must have been on look out, come running over, covered in leaves and twigs from falling out of the tree. Only Connor...

"Percy, how's it go? Where's Leo?" Connor asked, his words blurring together from the sheer speed of his speech.

Percy stared at the sand and shrugged, not meeting Connor's eyes. He truly didn't know.

At least, there's the possibility that he's not dead, Percy thought. Dad said so himself that even the gods (other than Hades) didn't know if he was dead or alive. There was still a chance.

But if he's alive, then where is he?

"Percy!" Nyssa shouted, skidding to a halt in front of him, Beckendorf, the other Hephaestus campers, and basically the entirety of the camp following her. "Where's Leo?"

"I don't know," he answered. "We succeeded in blowing up the ship. Leo got captured, but he'd already set up the explosives. He could set him off at any time, but he waited for me to get off the ship, even he didn't."

"So Leo's dead?" Shane whispered.

"I didn't say that. I had a dream... about my dad. He told me that even the gods, besides hades, who's not talking, don't know if Leo's dead or alive."

"But wouldn't Dad be able to tell?" Jake demanded.

"Apparently, something's blocking the ability because according to my dad, Hephaestus has been in a rage all day, trying to figure out why Leo suddenly went off the grid."

"This is bad," Annabeth muttered. "If his dad can't tell, it probably means he's alive, but something's blocking Leo off from the rest of the world. And I have a feeling I know what that is."

"You don't think..." Beckendorf trailed off.

"Head councilors, meeting the Big House. We have much to discuss," Chiron announced.

Percy took one last look at the sea, as if expecting to see Leo swimming towards the shore, but deep down, he knew he wouldn't.

Deep down, he knew that Leo wouldn't be coming back to Camp Half Blood for quite some time.

* * *

In California, Reyna Avilo Ramírez-Arellano shot up in her bed, the screams of that Greek boy-Leo- echoing in her head.

She swung her feet off the bed, standing to fetch Jason. Leo was in trouble, and she knew that if she was going to rescue him, she couldn't do it alone.

In the Fifth Cohort bunks, Jason Grace awoke with a gasp as the screams of that stranger sounded in his head.

He stumbled to his feet to find Reyna. He may not know who this kid is other than the name that he somehow knew without explanation, but that Leo kid was important somehow. And he couldn't save him alone.

Meanwhile, in another room, Octavian fell out of his bed, the screams of that kid bouncing around in his skull, like a horrible CD put on repeat.

He shoved some random items into his backpack and left a note on his bunk before heading for the camp boundary. He would've gotten help, but he didn't have any friends, so who would help him?

At the edge of camp, he was just approaching the Little Tiber when he ran into somebody. Literally.

Grabbing the person's hand and yanking him back before he fell in, Octavian caught a look of the person in the light of the full moon above their heads. Jason Grace, son of Jupiter of the Fifth Cohort.

"What are you doing here?" He hissed, looking around to make sure no one heard him.

"We could ask you the same question," Reyna, daughter of Bellona of the Third Cohort, said, stepping out of the shadows.

But as if reading each other's minds, they all knew the answer.

"Leo," the three of them said in unison.

* * *

 _Trivia time! I actually have two opportunities to get a character in the story this time!_

 ** _1: if you can find my quote from Powerless by Matthew Cody in this chapter and restate it in a review, the first person to do so will get a character!_**

 ** _2_** ** _. Trivia question:_**

 ** _Name three SONS of Hephaestus, other than Leo._**


	3. Torture and Death Boys

_Hello, everyone! Sorry for the delay, but I had exams this past week and life just gets in the way sometimes._

 _Also, Leo has been at the Titan's fortress for a little over a week. The reason why Reyna, Octavian, and Jason haven't found him yet is because The Mist is so powerful there that it wards them away from it and kind of makes them go in circles._

 _Finally, a lot of people have been asking why I'm making Octavian out to be a good guy. Well, one, I think that there's always more to a character than in the books. 2, we have no information on Octavian's life before the books, so for all we know, his insanity could be Gaea's doing. And 3, Octavian has a huge part in the apocalypse, so I need to change that. And 4, I like to be different. Deal with it. JK_

 _So I've been getting a lot of reviews about when I'm going to be updating a story (not necessarily this one). Well, I update by order of publication, so I update this story after His Skeleton and before Freedom Fighters. If you look at the publication order, you can predict which story will be updated next (one shots, One Shot A Day 2, and finished stories do not count in this)_

WARNINGS: SEMI GRAPHIC TORTURE, MENTIONS OF CHILD ABUSE

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing**

* * *

(Leo has been at the Titan's fortress for a little under a week)

Leo Valdez was in a lot of pain. His back had been ripped to shreds; at least two of his bones were broken (everything hurt, so he had no idea how many bones he'd broken or which ones); and he was covered in bruises from getting punched and kicked over and over again.

But Leo had lived through tons of abusive foster homes, so compared to something's those foster parents did to him, this was nothing (and that was really sad, but Leo didn't have time to dwell on that).

"Tell me now!" Kronos demanded.

"Never," Leo hissed.

Kronos signaled the empousa that was torturing him and the whip cracked down again.

"You were saying?" The Titan smirked. "Now tell me: what is Camp Half Blood's tactic to win the war? I have a feeling that your attack on the Princess Andromeda is just the tip of the ice burg, so TELL ME!"

"No!" Leo growled. "You can torture me all you want, but I will NOT give up my friends."

Kronos chuckled, cruelly. "Are they really your friends, Leo Valdez? After all, they left you here to rot instead of rescuing you."

"Well, obviously. They probably think I'm dead," he muttered, hiding the dejection in his voice with his anger.

"Nuh uh," Kronos tutted. "That pesky son of Hades would know."

Damn it!

"If they care about you so much, why aren't they here?"

"Because the world is more important than one person," Leo spat. "They'd be foolish to waste a quest on me when there's a war going on!"

"Oh, but Leo, you are far more important in this war than you realize." Kronos stood from his throne and ran a hand down Leo's face, mockingly; Leo tried to kick him, but the Titan's power made his movements slow and sluggish. "Important to the side you choose, especially."

"I thought I'd made it obvious by now," Leo muttered, finding out that it took a great deal of energy to speak. "I've chosen my side, and it lies with my camp."

Kronos's eyes went cold-or colder- and he slapped Leo so hard, his vision went black for a few frightening seconds.

A kick to the ribs made Leo flinch.

"Damn you," Leo snarled.

Kronos straightened to his full height. "Maria, give him one more round. Then, Trent, I want you to take him to his cell. Tell the guards to skip this prisoner tonight. Maybe he'll cave when he's dying of hunger and thirst in a claustrophobic cell."

CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!

Leo choked back a scream. The torture was endless, and to keep himself sane, he thought back to his foster mother Teresa. If he could survive her, he could survive this.

Finally, after sixty cracks of the whip, Trent was hauling him to his feet and shoving him down the hall. Leo leaned against the wall for support, and he stumbled along; he was shocked when Trent put an arm around his shoulders and helped him walk.

"You're just scared," Leo whispered, his voice hoarse from screaming.

Trent looked straight ahead. "I'm not scared."

Leo smirked, weakly. "I'm not dumb. When I talked back to him, you got real nervous. Care to explain that?"

Trent didn't respond.

"Trent... why did you turn to the Titans?"

Trent's eyes were far away for just a moment before his gaze hardened, and he shoved Leo inside his cell, smirking as Leo collapsed on the floor.

Leo closed his eyes. Maybe his dreams would be better than his reality.

* * *

 _Leo was lying beside Percy on a hillside that overlooked Long Island Sound; he felt tired and aching, but somehow... happy. And sad at the same time._

 _"Leo?"_

 _"Yeah, Perce?"_

 _"How did... it affect you?"_

 _"The kidnapping? Well, I'll admit, I'm not okay, but it's not like... it's not like I won't be able to move on."_

 _Percy sighed. "I really wished that you'd stop doing that."_

 _"Doing what?"_

 _"Acting like what happened to you was nothing because it wasn't. You were held hostage by Kronos for almost two weeks, tortured for hours on end, starved, deprived of water, and kept in a cold, dark, and tiny cell. I wouldn't be okay. No one would, Leo. You don't have to act like we're going to judge you for what happened."_

 _"I'm not afraid of that, Percy. It's just-"_

 _"Then, what are you afraid of?"_

 _"Percy, whenever I talk about it, I fell like I'm back in that dark room. I felt so alone, and I... I don't want to have to relive that. I'm sorry, Percy."_

 _"Leo, sometimes you have to relive something to move on. Ignoring the problem doesn't make it go away."_

 _Leo snorted. "You've been hanging out with Annabeth too much."_

 _Percy turned to him, looking serious. "Just hang on, Leo. Everything will be okay."_

 _"What?"_

* * *

And then, Leo's waking up in the dark cell he'll be calling his home for apparently 'almost two weeks'.

Leo leaned back, lying on the cold ground. He was so screwed.

* * *

Percy couldn't sleep. He'd been lying awake all night, staring at the ceiling, thinking about Leo.

He could never pinpoint what kind of person Leo was. A good one, yes, but... more than that.

When Percy met Leo, Leo had been so vulnerable, so open about his past. This was probably caused by the poison flowing through his system, but still.

Then, he became this clever joker and there were times when he was so smart that Percy could've mistaken him for a child of Athena.

And then, he was a hero. He'd always been a hero, but never the type to play hero, if you know what I mean.

Percy buried his face in his pillow, trying not to think anymore.

Oh, Leo, he thought. I'm so sorry.

* * *

 _When Percy opened his eyes, the Poseidon cabin had vanished, replaced by a tiny, claustrophobic cell with gray walls, a steel door, and no windows. It was so dark that Percy couldn't see a thing._

 _But he could see Leo. The son of Hephaestus was leaning against the wall, curled into himself, and Percy noticed with horror that blood had soaked through Leo's clothes and stained the floor with its awful sanguine color._

 _"Leo," Percy whispered._

 _"Percy?" Leo muttered, sounding almost broken, but not quite. It was like he had some fight left in him, but he didn't want to waste it._

 _"Yeah, Leo, it's me," Percy whispered. "You're going to be alright."_

 _"'m scared."_

 _Percy sighed. That was how he knew it was bad; if there was one thing he did know about Leo, it was that he wasn't the type to admit fear or defeat. He usually just laughed it off._

 _"I know. We'll be here soon. I-I promise," Percy whimpered._

 _He felt so helpless! He's the prophecy child! He's supposed to be a hero, but he can't even save his own friend! What kind of hero is he?_

 _The scenery was changing to that of a forest area with dense trees and the smell of salt water in the air. The sun had yet to rise, so the moon and the stars were the only light. That and the flashlights._

 _Three people crept out of the woods and into the clearing, allowing Percy to see them by the light of the moon._

 _The first one he noticed was a tall boy with close cropped golden blonde hair. He was tan and muscular while still being lean. In his purple T-shirt labeled Camp Jupiter and his blue jeans, he reminded Percy of some of the jocks that attended Goode High School, but this kid didn't seem stuck up or have this 'I'm so much better than you; bow down to me, loser' kind of attitude. He had a little scar on his upper lip, and his eyes were so much like Thalia's, it was eerie: electric blue, like lightning._

 _The second one was a girl, about a head shorter than the boy with long black hair pulled into a single braid that lay against her back. She wore the same attire as the boy, and she had slightly darker skin than the boy. In a way, she reminded Percy of Annabeth, or maybe Thalia: a strong and intimidating warrior. Her eyes were a piercing black, and she looked to be about fifteen or sixteen. She had a dagger on one side of her belt and a sword on the other, both shining gold._

 _The final one was a boy that reminded him scarily of Luke; seriously, the two could've been full blooded brothers. He had thin, blonde hair that hung in his blue eyes, and he wore the same attire as his companions. He was just a hair taller than the girl, and his skin was ghostly pale compared to the tan skin of the other two. A golden dagger hung at his belt. But what got Percy's attention the most was the feeling he got standing near him. It was the feeling he got when he stood near the Oracle of Delphi, just not as creeped out. Or the feeling he got when he stood near Rachel. Like any second they were going to say something that he didn't want to hear._

 _"You know, we probably should have gotten a map before we left," the taller boy input, fingering a golden coin in his hand._

 _The girl rolled her eyes. "We've lived in California for years; I thought that a map was the last thing we needed."_

 _The taller boy gasped before snickering. "Reyna? Not prepared. The world is coming to an end."_

 _"Hey. Why are we doing this again? Saving a kid we barely know?" The shorter boy asked._

 _The girl, presumedly Reyna, shrugged. "Our destinies are intertwined. We share a prophecy. Therefore, I kind of have to save him. I don't know what you two are doing here."_

 _The taller boy pursed his lips. "I have a similar feeling. Like our Fates are somehow connected, and if we don't save him, no one's fate will be happy."_

 _The shorter boy nodded. "He's important somehow. I don't know how yet, but I think that him dying would not have a good impact on the world."_

 _The taller boy nodded. "That Leo Valdez is special alright."_

 _The dream faded._

* * *

Percy sat up straight in his bed.

People were going to save Leo...

But... who are they?

* * *

"Guys, we're walking in circles! We have no idea where we're going!" Jason exclaimed. "Maybe we should go buy a map."

"Great idea, as if I haven't thought of that!" Reyna snapped. "Jason, remember on your last quest, you blew up a grocery store. On the one before that, you knocked out all the electricity in the city. And on the one before that, you set a gas station on fire. And then, you absolutely destroyed a Target when you were being chased by monsters. I'm pretty sure every store and business in the city keeps your picture!"

"Well, what about you?"

"I was seen 'beating a dog with a baseball bat' when I was actually stabbing a dracnea with my sword. I also robbed a store before camp (long story); and I have stolen a total of four cars in this city alone. I'm known as the Car Chica, which is very insulting! I've been on the news a hundred times! Everyone knows who I am!"

"Octavian?"

The blonde stared at Jason. "Dude, my dad was a criminal; I lit a house on fire; my half brother has committed more crimes than I have fingers; my mother is seen as insane by the state of Connecticut. I have been repeatedly seen lighting buildings on fire, stabbing monsters, beating people (enemy demigods), and I broke a bridge! I'm pretty sure the entire world knows my name and that I should be locked up for all eternity like Michael Myres."

"Who?" The two demigods (who had never really spent time in the Mortal world) reaponded.

Octavian waved away the question. "Never mind. The point is if I walk into a store, I'll be in jail before you can say damn it."

"How did you break a bridge?" Reyna asked.

"Uh... no comment. Anyway, if we want to find Mount Tam, why doesn't Jason just fly above the trees and look for it? It's the middle of the night; on the unlikely case that someone might see him, they'll probably think a, they're crazy and hallucinating; b, their imagination is running away from them; or c, he's a really big bird."

Reyna and Jason stared at him.

"What? I'm smart."

"Yeah, but you don't usually use that intelligence to help anyone," Jason told him.

"Jason," Reyna hissed.

Octavian rolled his eyes. "Look, I'm not very social and my motto is typically every man for himself, but I can be helpful when I want to be. Now, fly, Jason; Leo's already been there too long."

Jason nodded before taking off and flying above their heads, out of sight against the dark sky. After a few moments, he floated back down and pointed Northwest (according to Reyna's compass).

"That way," he said.

"Hey," Octavian suddenly said. "Did no one realize that we are barging into the Titan's fortress without a plan?"

"Uh, we'll talk and walk," Reyna said. "So what is the plan?"

"Well, who's best on defense?" Jason asked.

"Probably Reyna," Octavian replied.

"Alright. How about we find out way to the holding cells before we split up? Reyna stands at the entrance and takes out any guards that try to enter. I take one wall of cells; Octavian takes the other. We find Leo and get out," Jason told them. "If something unforseen occurs, we do what demigods do: we-"

"Improvise," Reyna finished.

"I was gonna say wing it, but I like your word better."

"Better to have a vague plan than nothing," Octavian said. "But what do we do after that? We barely know who Leo is; if we take him to camp, who knows what everyone will do, especially the Praetors." (Keep in mind that Jason and Reyna become praetors after the Titan War)

"I can only imagine what Jane and Christopher would do to us," Jason agreed. "Child of Mars and child of Mercury. What on earth was New Rome thinking when they elected them... don't tell anyone I said that."

"Don't worry, Jason. We all think it," Octavian chuckled. "How long until they're voted out?"

"Probably after the Titan War when some new leaders arise," Reyna said.

"Guys," Octavian suddenly said, holding out an arm to stop them. "Listen."

Crick... crack... rustle...

Jason flipped his coin, the small object turning into a sword. Reyna drew her sword while Octavian wielded his dagger.

"Who's there?" Reyna called.

Nothing.

"Look, we know you're there, so you'd better come out."

Footsteps- human footsteps- approached them, grass and sticks crunching under their feet.

"Who are you?" A male voice called. He couldn't be more than eleven or twelve.

"Who are you?" Jason asked.

"I asked you first."

"I'm Jason Grace. The is Reyna and Octavian."

"Last names?"

Reyna frowned. "Reyna Avila Ramírez-Arellano."

"Octavian Castellon."

A boy stepped out of the shadows. He was scrawny and deathly pale, being about twelve. He was very skinny and gave off an aura of darkness, although that might have been his dark clothes or his pitch black sword. A skull ring graced his finger.

"Did you say Castellon?" He asked.

"Yes," Octavian replied. "Now, who are you?"

"Nico di Angelo, son of Hades."

* * *

 _So... Octavian is related to Luke? What is this? It's a theory I have on Octavian's family, but how will this change the story?_

 _Well, bye, people! Until_ _next time._

 _Trivia:_

 _What is Reyna's favorite drink?_


	4. Rescue Missions and Attempts

_Sorry for the very long delay, but the good news is that I'm on summer break and have no life whatsoever, so I will have plenty of time to write!_

 **Also, to Baclava, I forgot to say this last chapter, but since you found my Powerless reference, you get a character in the story. Please, review who you'd like. (Also, if you like Powerless, I do have some fanfictions on it under misc. Books)**

 _ **ALSO, IMPORTANT: I AM GETTING READY TO POST A NEW STORY. THE SUMMARIES OF A FEW OF MY IDEAS ARE ON MY PROFILE; PLEASE READ THEM AND EITHER VOTE ON THE POLL OR REVIEW THE ONE YOU'D LIKE ME TO POST ON ANY OF MY STORIES.**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I am creative, but I am not nearly creative enough to write what Rick Riordan did. Therefore, Percy Jackson is not mine. Nor is Leo Valdez, Nico Di Angelo, etc.**_

* * *

Leo didn't know how long he'd been in the cell or the closet or whatever it was. All he knew is that he'd been in their long enough for his blood to entirely cover the floors.

Thinking of a plan was hard in this cell. There was no way out. Leo had tried to get out of the bonds, but they were apparently impossible to break and even harder to get off his hands. He'd tried the door, but it was steel and locked from the outside; since it was steel, Leo couldn't even burn it if he could get his bonds off.

He was stuck.

The door opened, and Trent stepped inside.

Trent leaned Leo up and started to take off his shirt.

"What are you doing?" Leo demanded, trying to wiggle out of Trent's grip.

Trent rolled his eyes. "We can't have these cuts getting infected; we need you alive, you know."

Leo stopped struggling and allowed Trent to cast some spells over his injuries and bandage them.

"I have to give the right spells so that they won't get infected, but you'll still feel the pain," Trent explained when Leo hissed as the child of Hecate wrapped bandages around Leo's body.

"Required to, I'm guessing," Leo said.

Trent nodded. "I probably would've done it anyway, though," he sneered.

Leo shook his head. "No, you wouldn't."

Trent stared at him for a long moment before standing and kicking Leo in the ribs, causing the fire user to curl into himself to try and ease the pain.

"Don't try to turn me, fire user. I'm doing the right thing. I am," Trent repeated as though trying to convince himself and not Leo.

The door slammed shut, and Leo smirked.

There was more than one set of keys. One for the guard; one for Trent; and one for Kronos.

Trent's set of keys jingled in Leo's hand like the merry tinkling of jingle bells.

...

Leo's plan was formulated within an hour. He could unlock the door from the inside, and if he did this just right, he could kick the guard in the knees. When he was down, Leo would use the guard's weapon to knock its owner out (or kill it, depending on how big the monster was). Leo would, then, steal the weapon and try to find a way to escape his bonds.

The child of Hephaestus crouched in the claustrophobic cell, slowly turning the key in the lock until he heard a click.

He waited. When there was no alarm or the suspicious grunt of his guard, Leo eased open the door.

The guard hadn't even turned around! It was a dracnea, boredly standing there with a sword at her belt and a net over her shoulder.

Leo kicked her in her trunk legs.

The dracnea fell, and Leo side stepped her net. She tried to wrap her tail around his legs and trip him up, but Leo leaped above it, grabbed her sword, and turned her to dust before she could utter a single word.

Leo tried to use the sword to cut the bonds, but didn't succeed, so Leo tried to use his head instead. And no, not literally.

Leo couldn't cut the bonds, but that didn't mean that the sword couldn't be useful.

He sat against the wall and placed the sword hilt between his knees; then, he wiggled the point between the bonds and his skin and... slid right out of them.

Leo shut the door to the cell, grabbed the sword, and ran. Occassionally, a monster would be walking and Leo would have to dive into a hiding place before he was spotted, but all in all, escaping wasn't hard.

Until he found that there was no way out.

That's right. The only doors he found led to more and more cells, and there were no windows.

Leo was trapped.

"So do you see that you're stuck here yet?"

Leo spun around. There stood Kronos with that awful smirk on his face, and at his side was Trent, Leo's bonds in hand.

Monsters had surrounded Leo by now. There was no escape.

Hands grabbed him and dragged him to the throne room for another torture session, but Leo didn't go willingly. He kicked and writhed and punched and lit on fire, burning anyone and everyone until only the Cyclopi were left standing. And they were much stronger than Leo.

His sword was taken, and the child of Hephaestus was dragged through tunnels until they were just down the hall from the throne room.

"I'm not gonna talk," Leo spat at Kronos. "No matter what."

Kronos laughed, cruelly. "You say that now, but wait until after this torture session."

The door shut behind them...

...

Leo won't go into details about the torture session, but it was the worst yet. The scars would never go away, he knew.

Monsters were dragging him back to his cell; Kronos wasn't with them, but Trent was. He'd long since replaced Leo's bonds, tying them tighter- so tight, Leo lost feeling in his hands.

Trent smirked. "You're never getting out of here, Valdez, so why do you even-"

BAM! A sword slammed against Trent's head, and he fell to the ground. The monsters were stabbed; they were so shocked, they didn't even know what hit them.

Slowly, Leo turned to face his saviors.

Well... he wasn't expecting that one.

* * *

"Son of Hades?" Reyna sputtered. "Hades has children?"

"Yes," Nico responded. "Now, you," he pointed to Octavian. "Are you related to Luke Castellon?"

"Yes. He's my half brother, same mother, different father," Octavian responded. "How do you know Luke anyway?"

"He betrayed our camp," Nico told him. "He's hosting Kronos."

Octavian froze, and for just a moment, hurt and betrayal flickered across his face. And just like that, it was gone. "I'm not surprised. After all, he ran away without warning, left me with our crazy mother."

Jason pursed his lips and awkwardly- _very_ awkwardly- patted Octavian on the shoulder

Octavian brushed off his hand. "Wait. What are you doing here?"

"Same thing as you three are. Saving Leo," Nico responded.

"Do you know the way to the fortress?" Reyna asked.

Nico nodded. "The Mist is very powerful here, but so is darkness and that happens to be my area of expertise. I can use the shadows to transport myself right into the fortress."

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Jason asked. "How?"

"Transporting so many people could exhaust me, so be prepared for that," Nico warned before holding out his hands. "Grab hands."

The four demigods grasped each other's hands and with a whirl of darkness, they were gone.

...

They collapsed on the floor of the fortress, and thank the gods that no monsters were currently patrolling that corridor.

"So..." Octavian said as he stood up and brushed himself off. "Where do we start?"

The four godlings stared at the walls in disappointment; there were dozens of cell doors lining the hall and probably more in the others. How did they know which one held Leo?

Suddenly, a pained scream rang out from deeper into the fortress.

Nico shakily pointed down the way the scream had originated from. "I'm guessing that way."

The four of them went racing towards the blood curdling scream, killing any monster that dared to get in their way; needless to say, never mess with their friend/ally. Or you get the blade.

The screaming stopped, eventually, and the three Romans and one Greek continued to walk straight, hoping they were heading in the right direction.

When the voices rang out, the four ducked behind unlocked cell doors and waited for the monsters to pass.

Two Cyclopi (Cyclopses? I don't know) came lumbering down the hall and between them was Leo Valdez.

Leo didn't look so hot. He was stumbling, and his shirt was covered in blood. His hands were bound together by a glowing rope that reminded the demigods of steel; I looked like it had the strength of steel too.

One other person was traveling with them. A blonde son of Hecate with runes drawn all over his pants and even a few on his shirt.

"You're never getting out of here, Valdez," the demigod was chuckling. "So why do you even-"

Jason leapt forward so suddenly, even his companions were surprised; he flipped his coin and slammed his sword over the child of Hecate's head.

Reyna tackled one beast while Nico and Octavian stabbed the other at the same time.

Leo blinked at them with the one eye that wasn't swollen shut.

"Didn't see that one coming," he finally muttered.

Nico smiled. "Didn't think we'd leave you hanging, did you?"

Reyna tried to cut through the bonds, but her dagger just bounced off of them.

"They don't cut," Leo told her. "You have to untie them."

Nico walked over and ripped the ropes apart; the task took a good few minutes. Apparently, someone-probably the demigod- had tied them so tightly, it was almost impossible to get them off.

"Now, come on," Nico said. He grabbed Leo's hand, and they created a circle before Nico shadow traveled them away.

...

Leo was shocked to get rescued. Not that he hadn't expected people to look for him (especially after that dream with Percy), but finding the Titan's fortress, much less getting into it, just seemed impossible.

Then again, though, demigods did invent impossible.

Still, when Trent got knocked out and Leo saw his rescuers, he felt like passing out.

They were quite a strange sight for those that knew them. Octavian, a blonde haired, blue eyed, possibly prophetic, and slightly creepy kid; Reyna, a kick butt warrior princess (we all know it's true); Nico, emo, _definitely_ creepy, but still heroic son of Hades; and the other kid, the kid from Leo's dreams.

Leo tried not to flinch as the headache hit him.

 _"Yeah, Jason, we've all been framed! I didn't run away six times. Piper didn't steal a BMW!"_

 _The kid- now, known as Jason- jumping over the edge of a canyon, like an idiot._

 _"I am the son of Jupiter, child of Rome!"_

 _"Dude, you been eating red meat?"_

So many more images flashed before his eyes, images of Jason's brave and sometimes stupid acts. Leo remembered a friendship that may or may not have existed. He remembered feeling inferior to Jason, feeling neglected by his two best friends. But he also remembered laughter, happiness, jokes, fun shared between their trio. He remembered giving Jason advice on how to ask Piper out.

And the funny thing is that whatever the two of them had been was... here and not here. It'd existed, yet it hadn't.

This was all causing Leo a migraine, and no, it wasn't because of the visions. It was because of how confusing it all was.

When they appeared in a clearing that was probably still in California (Nico wouldn't be able to transport _all_ of them long distances), Leo staggered, pain coursing through him and causing him to almost topple to the ground and give into blackness. Jason caught him before that happened.

Nico turned to the Romans (or at least, Leo assumed they were all Roman; Jason and Reyna were, and Octavian most likely was). He told them, "We have to get going. I'll take him back to... our camp and get him treated."

Reyna nodded. "We'll meet again, Leo. Hopefully soon. Take it easy."

Leo smiled. "Thanks, guys, for rescuing me."

"No need," Jason said.

Nico and Leo waved goodbye before Nico grabbed Leo and supported his weight.

"Wait," Leo said before reaching into his pocket and taking out a small bag of drachmas. He handed them to Reyna. "An Iris Message. Make a rainbow, throw in a drachma, and say Oh, Iris, goddess of the rainbow, accept my offering. Show me whoever you want to see. It works quicker if you have the location. You can communicate with us that way; call us if you need anything, alright?"

"We will," Octavian told him. "That goes for you, too."

Nico and Leo smiled at their new allies once more before Nico enveloped them in shadows.

They appeared in the Big House. Right in the middle of a councilor meeting.

The people present stared at them, their eyes threatening to pop out of their heads.

"Hi?" Leo said.

Then, the torture and pain and blood loss finally overwhelmed and extinguished his adrenaline.

He collapsed into someone's arms, and the world went black.

* * *

 _Well, that's that. See you next time! Please look at the summaries on my profile and vote!_


	5. Infirmaries and Changing Fate (Again)

_Hello, my friends!_

 _I want to thank everyone who has favorited, followed, and reviewed for this story! You have no idea how much it means to me and makes my day. Thank you._

 _Also, Baclava, Will does show up in this chapter, and he will be in the story more. And to answer your question, I am planning on putting Calypso and Thalia into the story later. I will have Calypso show up in House of Hades (I will tell you that Leo will still land on her island, but he won't date her because I'm pairing him with Reyna). Thalia will be in this story later on, and she will show up more in the Lost Hero_

 ** _Disclaimer: I own nothing_**

* * *

When Leo came to, the first thing he was aware of was not pain but relief.

The floor above his head was not the dreary gray it had been at the Titans Fortress. Sunlight streamed through the window above his head, plowing away any darkness that dared to come near him. There was no heavy locked door or stormy gray walls that threatened to close in on him.

He was free...

Leo laughed in relief, and that's when the pain set in.

His back was on fire; everything was sore; all of his limbs felt like they'd been dipped in acid. His stomach wasn't growling, but there was a deeply set emptiness there that gnawed away at him. When he tried to sit up, his weak arms gave out, and he collapsed back on the bed, which multiplied his already unbearable pain by two.

"I wouldn't try to sit up," a voice laughed, and Leo's swollen eyes opened just enough to recognize the hazy form of Will Solace.

"Hey, Will," he greeted with a smile, his voice cracking horribly because of his dry throat. "Long time, no see, eh?"

Will chuckled. "I'm glad you're back, Valdez. Now, I have to check your vitals and all the other medical stuff I don't have time to list."

Leo laughed. "I wouldn't have known what half of it meant anyway."

Will nodded as he started checking a bunch of machines around Leo; he recognized one that monitored his heart beat, one that displayed his temperature, one that gave him fluids and medicine, and a few others. Half of them, though, he had no idea what they did.

"Well, you seem to be recovering at an oddly fast rate. Your temperature's pretty high-"

"Oh, that's natural," Leo told him. "I have a naturally high body temperature, so my usual is between 105 and 110. A fever is 115 or above."

Will blinked. "You're a fire user, aren't you?"

It was Leo's turn to blink. "A what?"

"A fire user is a child of Hephaestus that can conjure and is immune to fire."

"What makes you say I am one?" Leo told him, trying to avoid the moment where everyone realized he was a monster and kicked him out of camp.

"Because only a fire user could have a body temperature that high without literally burning up," Will stated. "If you don't want me to, I won't tell, but I recommend you tell at least Chiron and maybe Beckendorf. They can help you control it and strengthen it."

Leo shook his head. "Making it stronger is the last thing I want. And if you don't use it, you can't lose control of it. "

Will stared at Leo because in that moment, the joking glare in his eyes vanished, replaced by a haunted, almost guilty expression.

Just like that, it was gone. Leo's smile was back in place, and he tried to sit up the best he could.

"So, Top Doc., when do I get out of here?"

Will laughed. "First of all, I'm not the Main Healer."

"Yet," Leo added.

Will smiled. "Thanks, but anyway, probably a few days. We healed your major injuries while you were out, including some internal bleeding and a slightly damaged lung-"

"What damaged my lung?"

"A broken rib. But Keller, one of the Hecate kids, healed you. He specializes in Healing magic. He healed the worst of your injuries, but it left him extremely drained, so the other injuries have to heal naturally."

"And those injuries are?"

"A broken leg, sprained ankle, three cracked ribs and two broken ones, a fractured wrist, a broken wrist, and then, of course any cuts and... welts..." Will's voice broke, and Leo knew that he'd seen his back.

Leo nodded. "How long do you think that will take?"

"Well, you seem to be healing at an oddly fast rate. Your cracked ribs are almost completely healed, according to the X-ray we took about an hour before you woke up. But for the life of me, I can't figure out how that's possible."

Leo shrugged. "I have no idea."

"Well, if you keep healing like this, you'll be out of here in a few days, the major thing we need to work on is getting your strength back. I'm guessing you weren't fed at all?"

Leo shook his head.

"Water?"

"I got water twice," Leo responded. "I think I got it every three days, but they never told me how much time had passed, so I don't know for sure."

Will nodded. "Well, we have to hydrate your body and pump you full of food. After your injuries are healed, I suggest you start training slowly, targeting every part of your body to get all of those limbs back in working order."

Leo nodded. "'Kay. Can do."

Will smiled before leaving the room for a moment and bringing back a tray with soup and a bottle of water.

"Okay, Leo, keep in mind, you haven't eaten for two weeks, so your stomach has shrunk considerably. I don't want you making yourself sick, so we'll have to introduce food back slowly."

Will set the tray on Leo's lap, and Leo started eating.

He was shocked when after the sixth or seventh bite, he started to feel sick, and he drank some of the water to try and rid himself of the nausea.

Will pursed his lips. "Starting to feel sick?"

Leo nodded.

"That's expected. Try to eat at least half, and then, we'll add more as your stomach expands."

The son of Hephaestus was determined to eat _at least_ half. He was Leo Valdez; he was not weak or broken or whatever. He could eat like a normal person.

But after half, Leo knew that one more bite, and he'd get sick, so he handed the tray to Will and laid back down.

"Get some rest, Leo," Will told him as he went to return the tray to the kitchens.

His eyes were filled with pity, and Leo was so angry. He couldn't stand sympathy; he didn't need it. It never helped him in the past; if you want to help, don't be pitying. Actually do something instead of just standing there with that look in your eye and...

The anger rushed out of Leo just as fast as it had entered, and he realized just how tired he was.

He drifted off to sleep.

* * *

 _He was standing in the middle of a battlefield with only a dozen soldiers surrounding him; they were trying to battle a drakon that was ten times the size of themselves._

 _Leo turned away from the horrifying sight to face a sight even more horrible than the destruction this monster was causing._

 _A girl was lying on the ground in full battle armor while a group of demigods surrounded her; Leo recognized Percy and Annabeth, but the others had too much battle armor to be recognizable._

 _Leo's feet carried him across the battlefield, and he realized that he was invisible because he strolled right past the drakon without being killed by it._

 _The sight was even more horrifying up close._

 _He recognized the girl as Silena Beauregard, but recognizing her was hard. Burns covered her beautiful face, and Leo knew the drakon had spat acid at her._

 _She unfurled her hand to reveal a scythe charm._

 _"I'm sorry..." she whispered._

* * *

Leo's eyes shot open, and he would've fallen off the bed if strong hands hadn't grabbed his shoulders to hold him in place.

"Woah, little brother. Easy."

Leo smiled. "Beckendorf."

"Yep," Beckendorf said, and when Leo glanced at him, he was left shocked.

His big brother's eyes were rimmed red. He'd been crying.

"Have you been crying?" Leo asked.

Beckendorf smiled, sadly. "Of course, I have. My little brother vanished off the face of the earth for two weeks, and no one knew if you were dead or alive or what was happening to you."

Leo blinked. "It's just... you were never one to cry."

Beckendorf's hands twitched, anxiously. "I'm not good with emotions or... people, in general."

"You're better with machines," Leo smiled. "Don't worry, I'm not good with organic life forms either."

"Organic life forms?" Beckendorf chortled.

Leo shrugged. "That's how Dad put it."

Beckendorf frowned. "When did you see Dad?"

Leo prepared himself to answer, but he stopped short.

"That's funny. The memory was right there, but now... I can't remember. I must've hit my head or something," Leo told his brother, although he wasn't entirely convinced.

Beckendorf nodded. "Maybe you should tell Will if you're having memory loss."

Leo nodded. "I will. How are those siblings of ours?"

Beckendorf chuckled. "Worried about you. I don't think Alexander's slept since you left on the mission."

Leo put on his best serious face, and then said in a very convincing parental tone:

"Well, you'd better tell him to go to sleep, or I will make Will drag him here and make him sleep in the bed next to me. And trust me, these beds are not comfortable."

Beckendorf went into hysterics, and when Leo looked at him weirdly (the joke was funny, but I wasn't _that_ funny), he calmed down and explained:

"You sounded so much like my mother right there, it was eerie. When I leave for college, I may have to make you head councilor. You'd sure as Hades keep the others in line."

Leo grinned. "Puh-lease. I could never be as good a councilor as you."

Beckendorf actually looked immensely touched.

"It's official: you're my favorite... but don't tell the others that."

Leo smiled. "So... how's Percy? I haven't seen him yet; did he make it back to camp in one piece?"

Beckendorf sighed. "Physically, he's fine. Mentally... he's been blaming myself ever since you disappeared."

Leo rolled his eys. "I should've expected that. Tell him that I want him here tomorrow at ten in the morning. I should be awake by then, and Will should be done checking... whatever all this is," Leo gestured to the numerous machines around his bed.

Beckendorf saluted. "Can do. Now, I have to head to battle training. Nyssa can only handle the little monsters we call siblings for so long."

As Beckendorf stood, Leo thought about the dream, and he called him back.

"Beckendorf! Could you send Silena in later?"

Beckendorf frowned. "Sure. Why?"

"I have something to discuss with her."

Beckendorf shrugged. "Alright. I'll tell her when I see her."

* * *

"Beckendorf said you wanted to see me," Silena said, curiously, as she walked into the Infirmary and seated herself beside Leo's bed.

"Yeah... Silena, I know you're the spy."

Silena's jaw dropped before she composed herself.

"What are you talking about?"

"Kronos mentioned a spy at camp, and he said it was you. He thought I was never going to escape, so he didn't think it mattered that I knew," Leo lied. He couldn't tell her about the dreams; he didn't understand them himself, and explaining them would be... difficult.

She sighed. "I'm sorry. I made a mistake when I-"

"Silena, it's okay," Leo said. "I'm not going to tell, but Silena, I need you to swear on the Styx that you will not give any true information to Kronos."

"But he'll kill-"

"No, he won't. I'll help you. I'll give you convincing false information, and you'll give that to him instead. Keep in mind, I was his prisoner; I'm starting to learn how he works, and I think you can be a double agent.

"You'll give him false information, and you'll give _us_ true information. We can bring down Kronos, but we need everybody we can get on our side."

Silena nodded. "But what if he... he said he'd kill Charlie if I backed out."

Leo smiled. "You really think I'm going to let him kill my brother? If he thinks he can kill the people I care about, he's got another thing coming. Now, Silena, I'm giving you a second chance. You can swear on the Styx or I can tell Chiron you're the spy. Something tells me he won't be as forgiving or understanding as I am."

She sighed. "I swear on the River Styx that I will not give any true information to Kronos in regards to our battle plans, our whereabouts, and anything to do with our strategies to fight this war."

Leo smiled. "Thank you."

Thunder rumbled in the distance with no storm clouds in sight, and several campers wondered who was making an oath.

Little did anyone know, Leo had changed the fate of everyone at camp by forcing Silena into making that oath.

Little did anyone know, Leo Valdez had changed fate too many times to count in the past year.

Little did anyone know, he'd change fate many more times in the years to come.

* * *

 _i know the memory with Silena isn't exact, but the memory technically isn't Leo's; one of the people that sent Leo back in time has given him these memories, so they're bound to be a little hazy._

 _Thank you! And I forgot trivia last chapter. My apologies..._

 ** _Trivia:_**

 ** _What does Nico's name mean? (Let's just say it's very fitting)_**


	6. In Which The Prophecy Is Changed

_Sorry it took me so long to update. I've been busy doing prompts for someone named SpencerandHanna, but I'm doing better at managing my time (I'm also doing online school now due to some medical issues, so my schedule is much more flexible)._

 _I will be updating very fast though, so lock your trivia answers in quick._

 _The answer to trivia was Angel of Death. It could be angel of victory or of the angels, but I think Rick Riordan was going for Angel of Death translation (since that's what Nico's name means in Italian and he's Italian **and** the son of Hades, who is the god of death)_

 ** _Reviews:_**

 ** _NightShapeShifter: thanks for the compliment!_**

 ** _Disclaimer: I own nothing_**

* * *

Leo hadn't been out of the Infirmary for five minutes when the next bad thing happened.

It had taken a lot of persuasion and his infamous Valdez charm to get Will to release him from the Infirmary, and even then, Will had a list of Doctor's Orders longer than Rapunzel's hair.

Leo's broken leg was no longer broken; there was only a slight crack in the bone that was still mending, resulting in a limp. His sprained ankle was completely healed, and his ribs were no longer fractured or broken (depending on which rib you were talking about). The only thing his ribs were were sore, which Leo would take over broken or cracked any day. Leo's left wrist was still broken, but his right one (which had been fractured) had healed completely. The welts on his back had scabbed over two or three days ago and were quickly (perhaps _too_ quickly) becoming scars.

Will and the other healers had been baffled by his speedy recovery. Even with ambrosia, his injuries healing in less than a week and a half was impossible.

When they asked how it was possible, Leo just smirked and said, "I'm Leo Valdez. I _invented_ impossible."

Kayla (one of the other healers) rolled her eyes. "Sure you did."

"No, I'm serious. I made a motorcycle fly once!" Leo bragged.

"Let me guess: it crashed?" Will asked.

"It only crashed because some mortal shot me out of the air with a shotgun. Don't worry, he didn't hit me; he hit the tire," Leo rushed to say and watched Will and the others (his friends, his allies... he wasn't entirely sure yet) relax.

Will laughed as he checked Leo's vitals.

"So, when can I get out of here, Doctor Sunny-D?"

"Doctor Sunny-D?" Will asked.

"That's what you always drink. Without fail," Leo added as he pointed to the orange beverage sitting on a nearby counter.

Will snickered. "It's bad enough that you're in the Infirmary enough to know that."

Leo nodded. "I thought we established that the fifth time I got sent to the Infirmary because Clarrise broke my wrst."

Will nodded. "She breaks everyone's limbs, though. Speaking of that, I need to have a talk with her. We only have so many Healers to go around; she needs to stop adding to our patient list."

Leo chuckled. "If you tell her that, _you're_ going to need a Healer."

"I've already talked with Kayla. She's got the pain medication ready," Will joked.

The door to the Infirmary opened, and Nico Di Angelo strolled in.

"Hey, Prince of Sunshine," he said to Will.

"Greetings, Master of Darkness," Will laughed.

"Don't up mean Master of rainbows and ponies?" Leo deadpanned.

"Ponies hate me," Nice huffed.

"Are you still mad because the Pegasi rejected you?" Leo said in a babyish voice.

"Maybe," Nico said back.

"Don't worry. The Pegasi don't like me either," Will smiled.

"That's because you used to pull their tails," one of the other Apollo kids called as he walked by.

"It was a dare, and I was eight. Let it go!" Will yelled back. "And at least I didn't spray the Pegasi with glitter," he said, his eyes zeroing in on Leo.

"It was an accident!" Leo said in defense. "Now, I'm serious. When do I get out of here?"

"What? You don't like my sunny presence?" Will asked, flatly, trying not to smile.

"I do, but I also like the forges," Leo said.

"Well, too bad because you are not going in there for a while," Will told him.

"Dang it!" Leo muttered.

"You can leave today if you follow through on all of my orders. And I've told Beckendorf all of them, so don't try to get away with anything," Will said, eyes narrowed.

Leo sighed. "All right. Hit me. What are they?"

"No forges, no Bunker Nine. Do not use your left arm. Keep weight off of your broken leg. Rest as much as possible. Train slowly and target every part of your body to get your limbs back in working order..."

Will went on and on until Nico and Leo were staring at him in bewilderment.

"Come to the Infirmary if you suffer any memory loss, unusual bleeding, difficulty breathing, stomach pain, chest pain, or inability to move your limbs, even if it's only temporary."

Leo and Nico stared at Will.

"Don't give me that look! This is procedure!" He said, handing Leo a folded up piece of paper with all the Orders on it.

It unfolded and spilled over the side of the bed.

Leo stared at Will.

"Hey, don't look at me. The more injuries you have, the more Orders you have. Now, shoo. I've got other patients."

Will walked away, sipping his Sunny-D.

"He's got a weird obsession with that drink," Nico said.

Leo nodded before saying, "All right. I haven't stood up in ten days; I'm going to need some help here."

"You haven't stood up in ten days?" Nico asked. "How did you use the bathroom?"

"You really want to know?" Leo asked.

"No," Nico responded before slipping an arm around Leo's shoulders and helping him stand. "You're light," Nico said in surprise.

"Is that supposed to be a fat joke?" Leo laughed.

Nico chuckled. "No, it's just... have you eaten at all these past ten days?"

"Yeah. I ate soup and I ate crackers; anything else made my shrunken stomach mad, so..." Leo trailed off.

Nico nodded. "All right. The others are at the Pavillion."

Leo nodded before slowly putting weight on his previously broken (now just cracked) leg.

It held his weight.

"Okay, slow," Nico ordered. "The last thing we need is to have to drag you back here."

Leo inhaled before taking one hesitant step forward.

When the anticipated collapse did not occur, he took another step.

Nothing.

Leo smiled. "Let's go."

Nico walked beside him the entire way there, ready to catch Leo every time he stumbled (which was most of the time).

It was amazing how strong their friendship was. Last summer, Nico and Leo had barely known each other, but after Nico became friends with Will, he slowly started to come out of his shell. He stayed at camp more often, and Leo helped him 'gain some much needed social skills' and make new friends. Nico wasn't exactly popular, but he wasn't shunned either (like he'd expected).

Anyway, Nico stuck by Leo because Leo stuck by him. It was as simple as that.

They joked and talked and caught up on the happenings around camp while Leo was in the Infirmary or MIA as they walked towards the dining hall.

It didn't take long for Leo to notice that everyone was staring at him.

When they walked past the volleyball court, the players froze and allowed the ball to hit the sand; they turned and watched him limp past, their gazes filled with sympathy.

As Leo and Nico passed the Stoll brothers and Katie (who looked rather angry at them), Travis and Connor's smiles dropped as they gazed at him in sadness. Katie frowned at their depressed expressions, and she followed their gazes; the irritation drained from her face, replaced with pity.

The worst part was the Pavillion.

Lunch had started five minutes ago, and the Pavillion had filled with campers.

When Leo stepped inside, everyone stopped what they were doing and just stared at him. Even the Ares kids had pity in their eyes.

Leo's confidence and witty humor failed him, and he dropped his gaze to the floor, keeping his eyes fixed on the marble as he made his way to the Hephaestus table.

"Good to have you back, little bro," Jake grinned, clapping Leo (lightly) on the shoulder.

Slowly but surely, everything returned to normal. Noise filled the room, and eyes stopped watching Leo's every move.

Alexander hugged him so suddenly, Leo almost toppled off the bench.

"Woah, Alex, it's okay," Leo laughed.

"I think it's official. No more missions for you," Alexander said, pulling away.

"Definitely not," Nyssa laughed.

"I think the Oracle decides that," Leo responded.

"Uh, guys?" Shane said, his voice oddly high pitched as he looked over Leo's shoulder.

"What?" Christopher asked, and they followed Shane's gaze.

"Why did I have to say something?" Leo whispered.

Deafening silence filled the Pavillion as an old, rotting mummy lumbered through the dining hall.

Leo had never seen the Oracle, and he wished that he never had to.

She was a decaying corpse, mummified, with long, stringy hair that had begun falling out centuries ago. Rags circled her body, and her skin was tainted a brownish-green color from age. Dust hung over her in a cloud, and a few kids sneezed as she passed.

She stopped in front of Percy Jackson.

Leo could almost hear Percy mentally curse.

She spoke with the voice of a hundred snakes, and several campers clamped their hands over their ears to block out the awful sound.

 _A half-blood of the eldest gods_

 _Shall reach sixteen against all odds_

 _And see the world in endless sleep_

 _Lies shall be told, for there is a secret to keep_

 _The child of time shall save the hero from death_

 _And time shall stop with the second breath_

Everyone expected her to collapse, but instead, she turned on her heel and strolled through the Pavillion.

Towards the Hephaestus table...

"Oh, no," Jake muttered.

"Oh, no, indeed," Leo agreed under his breath.

She stopped in front of Leo.

 _Child of fire must reclaim a lost memory_

 _If he fails, the world as we know it is in jeopardy_

 _You've saved the brother and the spy_

 _But you must save many more with your third eye_

 _You will unite the purple and the orange with the ones above_

 _In the end, you shall die and live to save the ones you love_

She collapsed to the marble floor of the Pavillion.

Leo did the only thing that came naturally at that time.

He cursed. Loudly.

* * *

 _This was a short chapter because it was mostly a filler chapter (except for the ending), but the war's about to really start rolling, so the chapters will start getting longer._

 _Also, I'm doing something a bit different with trivia. I'm going to alternate Fandoms, so every other chapter, you'll get a trivia question from another book/movie/tv show. I'm starting with PJO, but next chapter, it'll be something from another Fandom (like Harry Potter or the Kane Chronicles or something). The chapter after that will be PJO and so on. I'm doing this because I'm running out of questions to ask for PJO, and I still have... five books to do (more if I do Trials of Apollo, which I'm not sure about yet) on top of finishing this one_

 ** _Trivia:_**

 **True or False: Travis and Connor Stoll are twins?**

 _Thanks for reading, and remember: Reviews make my day!_


	7. Driving A Dog Into A Tree? Why Not?

_I'm back._

 _also, I realize that I practically changed the entire series by changing the prophecy. That's the point. For those of you that haven't realized it, Leo is a time traveler (even if he doesn't know it yet), so this story will have a lot of Fix-it moments._

 ** _Disclaimer: I own nothing_**

* * *

"A prophecy changing? Unheard of!" Annabeth exclaimed.

"Not to mention the Oracle giving two prophecies at one time!" Clarrise added.

"Quiet!" Chiron called. "We need to discuss this."

The table calmed down with some difficulty. Surprisingly, the only ones that _were_ quiet were Percy and Leo (who had to come since this involved him).

"Where do we start?" Annabeth sighed as she started settling down.

"Well, does Kronos have a kid?" Leo asked.

Chiron shook his head. "If the Titan Lord had a child, everyone would know. This war would've happened long ago."

"Well, this child of time is supposed to save someone, but what does it mean by time stops? Does it mean it literally or does it mean we stop Kronos?" Percy wondered.

"And what about the second breath?" Travis said, a single eyebrow raised.

Chiron pursed his lips. "Honestly, I have no idea about the Great Prophecy. What about Leo's?"

"Leo, it said you have to reclaim a lost memory," Beckendorf said. "Didn't you say you were suffering memory loss?"

Leo took a deep breath. "It's not exactly memory loss. It's more like I have memories that aren't mine. Or at least I don't think they are. Some of them are missing, and without them, I can't create the picture or give these... visions any explanation."

"Give me an example," Chiron said.

Leo thought about it for a moment. "Last summer, in the Labyrinth, I got a vision of a girl and a satyr I didn't know, but they seemed to know me. It was short and incomplete."

"It's almost like memories have been stolen from you," Chiron mused. "Maybe someone doesn't want you to remember."

"Or maybe they _want_ me to remember, but they don't want me to remember it all at once."

Chiron nodded. "That makes sense, as well. What about the brother and the spy?"

"Well, he saved me," Beckendorf spoke up. "I was supposed to go on that mission, originally, before we decided to send Leo. Leo had a back up plan for everything that could go wrong; I probably would've died, so in a way, he saved me."

"What about the spy?" Will asked.

"I can't discuss that without putting them in danger," Leo responded, "but they're on our side. I know what it means."

Chiron frowned, wondering what Leo was hiding, but he didn't push it.

"You will unite orange and purple with the ones above," Katie repeated back. "Well, the gods are the ones above. Could orange be us?"

"It's plausible," Chiron murmured.

"What about purple?" Percy asked.

"I can't discuss that either. Not yet, anyway," Leo said. "A goddess told me not to share that information until the time is right."

Chiron nodded. "And the last line. Die and live?"

No one had any idea what that meant.

Chiron sighed. "All right. This meeting is adjourned."

* * *

Leo exited the Big House and headed for his cabin when he heard a shout from behind him.

"Leo!"

Nico.

Nico caught up with Leo and fell into step with him.

"I need your help," Nico said.

Leo frowned. "With what?"

"I need you to help me convince Percy to go through with a plan."

Leo nodded. "Go on."

Nico explained his plan with May Castellan and the River Styx, and surprisingly, Leo did not look shocked by the extreme plan Nico had crafted.

"On one condition. I come with; I have a feeling you two are going to need back up."

Nico smiled. "Wouldn't have it any other way, but you are explaining that to Will when we get back since you shouldn't even be lifting a sword, much less going on a mission. Bring some extra ambrosia in case your injuries act up."

Leo nodded. "Way ahead of you," he grinned, pulling a baggie of what looked like lemon squares from his pocket. "Now, I'll go talk to Percy."

Nico nodded. "Bring Mrs. O'Leary. Meet you in the woods. Juniper wants to talk to me."

"Grover's girl?" Leo asked, quietly, trying not to think too much about the missing satyr.

Nico nodded, somberly, before heading that way.

Leo turned and headed towards the arena, where he'd seen Percy heading.

He stepped inside and grinned when he noticed Mrs. O'Leary leaping about, her eyes following Percy's hand as he tossed a shield (using it as as Frisbee).

"Hey, Perce!" Leo called.

Percy turned and smiled. "Hey, Leo. What's up?"

Like ripping off a bandaid, Leo blurted out, "Nico told me the plan."

Percy's eyes dropped to the floor.

"Percy, I'm not going to make a decision for you, but here's some perspective. This mission is totally dangerous; you could die. We could fail, but you could also die going into battle without bathing in the Styx. Bathe in the Styx and survive, you're almost indestructible; go into battle without doing it, it's only a matter of time before your luck runs out."

Percy chewed on that for a moment.

"Let me think about it for a few minutes," he responded. "Where's Nico?"

"He's meeting us in the woods," Leo replied. "He had to talk to Juniper, and he said to bring Mrs. O'Leary."

Percy frowned. "Why?"

Leo shrugged. "Nico has a plan; we don't. I say we just go with it."

Percy shrugged, as though saying good point, before whistling and beckoning the Hell hound over.

The two wandered into the woods with Mrs. O'Leary on their tails (ha, tails. Leo mentally laughed).

They finally located Nico, but Leo was a little too shocked to remember what they were there for.

In the middle of the glade stood the weirdest trio Leo had ever seen (and that was saying something): Juniper the tree nymph, Nico di Angelo, and a very old, very fat satyr.

Nico nodded when he saw them, smiling slightly at their arrival, then went back to scratching Mrs. O'Leary's ears. She sniffed his legs like he was the most interesting thing since steak was invented. She was a hellhound, so she probably loved the _Underworldy_ smell Nico carried with him.

The old satyr didn't look so happy. "Will someone—what is this underworld creature doing in my forest!" He waved his arms and trotted on his hooves as if the grass were on fire (Leo checked his sneakers to make sure they hadn't caught fire by accident-that's happened more than once). "You there, Percy Jackson and... and other boy! Is this your beast?"

"Sorry, Leneus," Percy said. "That's your name, right?"

The satyr rolled his eyes. His fur was dust-bunny gray, and a spiderweb grew between his horns. His belly was bigger than Leo's second foster father's beer belly (Once again, saying something). "Well, of course I'm Leneus. Don't tell me you've forgotten a member of the Council so quickly. Now, call off your beast!"

"WOOF!" Mrs. O'Leary said happily.

The old satyr gulped. "Make it go away! Juniper, I will not help you under these circumstances!"

Juniper turned towards us. She was a pretty dryad, but Leo didn't go for trees (although Leo had flirted with her once, but then, he found out she was Grover's girl and backed off. He likes flirting, but he respects the Bro code). She wore a purple gossamer dress and had an elfish face, but her eyes were green-tinted with chlorophyll from crying.

"Percy, Leo" she sniffled. "I was just asking about Grover. I know something's happened. He wouldn't stay gone this long if he wasn't in trouble. I was hoping that Leneus—"

"I told you!" the satyr protested. "You are better off without that traitor."

Juniper stamped her foot. "He is not a traitor! He's the bravest satyr ever, and I want to know where he is!"

"I agree with Juniper. Grove saved our lives multiple times," Leo stressed.

"Mine more than his," Percy added, gesturing to himself first, then Leo.

"WOOF!"

Leneus's knees started knocking. "I . . . I won't answer questions with this hellhound sniffing my tail!"

Nico looked like he was trying to not crack up. "I'll walk the dog," he volunteered.

He whistled, and Mrs. O'Leary bounded after him to the far end of the grove.

Leneus huffed indignantly and brushed the twigs off his shirt. "Now, as I was trying to explain, young lady, your boyfriend has not sent any reports since we voted him into exile."

"You _tried_ to vote him into exile," Percy corrected. "Chiron and Dionysus stopped you."

"Bah! They are honorary Council members. It wasn't a proper vote."

"I'll tell Dionysus you said that."

Leo wanted to laugh at Leneus's panicked expression.

Leneus paled. "I only meant . . . Now see here, Jackson. This is none of your business."

"Grover's my friend," Percy said. "He wasn't lying to you about Pan's death. I saw it myself. You were just too scared to accept the truth."

Leneus's lips quivered. "No! Grover's a liar and good riddance. We're better off without him."

"First of all," Leo stated, "Grover is not a liar. I was there when Pan died. Or faded or whatever. So was Percy, Annabeth, Tyson, and Rachel."

Percy pointed at the withered thrones. "Second of all, if things are going so well, where are your friends? Looks like your Council hasn't been meeting lately."

"Maron and Silenus . . . I . . . I'm sure they'll be back," he said, but there was panic in his voice. "They're just taking some time off to think. It's been a very unsettling year."

"It's going to get a lot more unsettling," Percy promised. "Leneus, we need Grover. There's got to be a way you can find him with your magic."

The old satyr's eye twitched. "I'm telling you, I've heard nothing. Perhaps he's dead."

Juniper choked back a sob.

"He's not dead," Percy said. "I can feel that much."

Leo frowned at him. "How-"

"Empathy links," Leneus interrupted. "Very unreliable."

"So ask around," Percy insisted. "Find him. There's a war coming. Grover was preparing the nature spirits."

"Without my permission! And it's not our war."

Percy grabbed him by the shirt, which seriously wasn't like Percy, but even Leo, who was typically calm and laid back, was patting out the small flames in his hair, hoping Percy didn't notice them. This guy was just that irritating.

"Listen, Leneus," Percy growled. "When Kronos attacks, he's going to have packs of hellhounds. He's going to destroy everything in his path—mortals, gods, demigods. Do you think he'll let the satyrs go free? You're supposed to be a leader. So LEAD. Get out there and see what's happening. Find Grover and bring Juniper some news. Now, GO!"

Percy shoved him. He fell on his furry rump, then scrambled to his hooves and ran away with his belly jiggling. "Grover will never be accepted! He will die an outcast!"

When he'd disappeared into the bushes, Leo asked, "Is he gone?"

Percy nodded, and Leo burst out laughing.

"Amazing," he chuckled before settling down. "Okay, serious time, what do we do about Grover?"

Percy sighed. "I don't know yet."

Juniper wiped her eyes. "I'm sorry, Percy. I didn't mean to get you involved. Leneus is still a lord of the Wild. You don't want to make an enemy of him."

"No problem," Percy said. "I've got worse enemies than overweight satyrs."

Nico walked back to them. "Good job, Percy. Judging from the trail of goat pellets, I'd say you shook him up pretty well."

"Hey," Percy greeted Nico. "What did you need to talk to Juniper about?"

"She's been asking me about Grover. I didn't mean to interrupt, but I kind of . . . dropped into the middle of their conversation."

"He scared us to death!" Juniper said. "Right out of the shadows. But, Nico, you are the son of Hades and all. Are you sure you haven't heard anything about Grover?"

Nico shifted his weight. "Juniper . . . even if Grover died, he would reincarnate into something else in nature. I can't sense things like that, only mortal souls."

"But if you do hear anything?" she pleaded, putting her hand on his arm. "Anything at all?"

Nico blushed. "Uh, you bet. I'll keep my ears open."

Leo tried not to snicker at how red Nico became.

"We'll find him, Juniper," Percy promised. "Grover's alive, I'm sure. There must be a simple reason why he hasn't contacted us."

She nodded glumly. "I hate not being able to leave the forest. He could be anywhere, and I'm stuck here waiting. Oh, if that silly goat has gotten himself hurt—"

Mrs. O'Leary bounded back over and took an interest in Juniper's dress.

Juniper yelped. "Oh, no you don't! I know about dogs and trees. I'm gone!"

She went _poof_ into green mist. Mrs. O'Leary looked disappointed, but she lumbered off to find another target, leaving the trio alone.

Nico tapped his sword on the ground. A tiny mound of animal bones erupted from the dirt. They knit themselves together into a skeletal field mouse and scampered off. He always did that when he got nervous; Leo kind of wished he would do something else, like bite his nails or bounce his foot or something. The bones got creepy after a while.

"I had a vision you were on Mount Tarn," Percy told Nico. "Was that—"

Leo frowned. Nico hadn't told him anything about that.

"Real," he said. "I didn't mean to be spying on the Titans, but I was in the neighborhood."

"Doing what?"

Nico tugged at his sword belt. "Following a lead on . . . you know, my family."

Percy nodded, and Leo avoided Nico's eyes. He knew the feeling-searching for family. He'd searched for his dad for years, so he could figure out if his dad knew anything about the powers (after all, they had to come from somewhere, and they hadn't come from his mom) and give him a piece of his mind for leaving him and his mom.

Now, Leo knew why he never found him.

"So how did it go?" Percy asked. "Any luck?"

"No," he murmured. "But I may have a new lead soon."

"What's the lead?"

Nico chewed his lip. "That's not important right now. You know why I'm here. Leo explained it."

"Guys, I still don't know," Percy said. "It seems pretty extreme."

"You've got Typhon coming in, what . . . a week? Most of the other Titans are unleashed now and on Kronos's side. Maybe it's time to think extreme."

Leo nodded in agreement.

Percy looked towards camp.

"We're no match for the Titan army," Leo said. "You know that. This comes down to you and Scarface."

"And there's only one way you can beat Luke," Nico finished.

"Remember the Princess Andromeda?" Leo added. "We were outmatched over a thousand to two. There's forty, fifty campers against that."

And the Romans have their own problems, Leo added, mentally.

He didn't know how he knew that, but he did. And besides, explaining the Romans to Percy or Chiron or anyone? The war would be over before they believed him.

 _(Keep in mind, Leo doesn't know that Chiron knows about the Romans)_

"We can give you the same power," Nico urged, as though reading Percy's mind. "You heard the Great Prophecy. Unless you want to have your soul reaped by a cursed blade . . ."

"But it's changed," Percy pointed out.

"Not exactly," Leo said. "A prophecy has never changed before. We don't know what could happen."

Percy saw the point of that. None of them understood why the prophecy had changed, and no one knew if it would change again. The best thing they could do was prepare for the worst.

"Maybe it could be a last resort," Percy suggested.

Nico took a deep breath. "Percy, when the fighting starts, we won't be able to make the journey. This is our last chance. I'm sorry if I'm being too pushy, but two years ago my sister gave her life to protect you. I want you to honor that. Do whatever it takes to stay alive and defeat Kronos."

Nico knew how to convince Percy. Leo could admit; it was a low blow, but it was effective. Percy practically deflated.

"All right," Percy decided. "What do we do first?"

Nico smiled. "First we'll need to retrace Luke's steps. We need to know more about his past, his childhood."

"Why do we need to know about that?"

"I'll explain when we get there," Nico said. "I've already tracked down his mother. She lives in Connecticut."

"Luke ran away when he was really young," Percy said. "I didn't think his mom was alive."

"Oh, she's alive."

Leo wondered why Luke ran away. Leo had run away from abusive people, alcoholics, drug addicts, neglectful parents, siblings that hated and bullied him, but he'd also run away from perfectly good people when he started to get attached.

What kind of person or situation had Luke been running from?

"Okay . . ." Percy said. "So how do we get to Connecticut? I can call Blackjack—"

"No." Nico muttered.

"The Pegasi don't like him, and he's all bitter about it," Leo explained to Percy.

Nico smiled. "You know it. Anyway, there's no need for flying."

He whistled, and Mrs. O'Leary came loping out of the woods.

"Your friend here can help." Nico patted her head. "You haven't tried shadow travel yet?"

"Shadow travel?" Percy asked.

Leo smiled. "It's awesome."

Nico frowned. "You've shadow traveled before?"

Leo opened his mouth to tell him about... the memory was gone.

Leo frowned. "That's weird. The memory was there, and then-"

"It was gone," Percy finished. "Lost memories."

Leo nodded.

Nico shrugged. "You'll be regaining it eventually. Anyway..."

Nico whispered in Mrs. O'Leary's ear. She tilted her head, suddenly alert.

"Hop on board," Nico told them.

This was not the first time Leo had ridden a hellhound, but the last time had not been a good experience (that is a long story that will scar you for life).

"This will make her very tired," Nico warned Percy, "so you can't do it often. And it works best at night. But all shadows are part of the same substance. There is only one darkness, and creatures of the Underworld can use it as a road, or a door."

"I don't understand," Percy said.

"No," Nico said. "It took me a long time to learn. But Mrs. O'Leary knows. Tell her where to go. Tell her Westport, the home of May Castellan."

"You're not coming?"

"Don't worry," he said. "I'll meet you there."

Leo and Percy climbed onto Mrs. O'Leary's back, and Percy leaned down to Mrs. O'Leary's ear. "Okay, girl. Uh, can you take us to Westport, Connecticut? May Castellan's place?"

Mrs. O'Leary sniffed the air. She looked into the gloom of the forest. Then she bounded forward, straight into an oak tree.

Just before they hit, shadows enveloped them, as cold as the dark side of the moon.

* * *

 _About Percy's dream with Nico. Keep in mind, he had that dream before Leo was taken to the Titans fortress, so Nico didn't know Leo had been captured at the time._

 _Review, and I won't kill Leo (I'm just kidding. I can't kill Leo... yet. Mwuahahaha!)_

 _The trivia for this chapter is from Isle of The Lost by Melissa De La Cruz. It's the prequel to the Disney movie **Descendents.**_

 ** _Trivia:_**

 **What is Carlos De Vil's middle name?**

 _Next chapter will have PJO trivia._

 _Thanks for reading!_


	8. Leo Meets The Worst Cook Ever

_Here's chapter eight._

 _also, the answer to the last trivia question was Oscar. I'm actually surprised somebody got that; use only met one other person who's read the Isle of the Lost, but now I know more people!_

 _also, I took some descriptions directly from Rick Riordan (I'm good at describing, but Rick is better)._

 ** _Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize._**

 ** _WARNINGS: MENTIONS OF ABUSE_**

* * *

Shadow travel was dark.

(Wow, Leo, shadows are dark? Who knew?)

When Mrs. O'Leary, Percy, and Leo bounded out of the shadows, they were on a cliff in the woods of Connecticut. At least, it looked like Connecticut from the single time Leo had been there (one of his foster homes): lots of trees, low stone walls, big houses. Down one side of the cliff, a highway cut through a ravine. Down the other side was someone's backyard. The property was huge—more wilderness than lawn. The house was a two-story white Colonial. Despite the fact that it was right on the other side of the hill from a highway, it felt like it was in the middle of nowhere. There was a light glowing from the kitchen window. A rusty old swing set stood under an apple tree, looking as though it hadn't been used in years.

The house was nice; most people would wonder who would runaway from a life like this? But appearances can be deceiving. Leo had learned a long time ago that the higher the castle walls are, the more the people can hide.

Leo tried not to think about his foster mother, Teresa.

Mrs. O'Leary staggered, the shadow travel having drained her.

Leo and Percy slipped off her back. She let out a huge toothy yawn that would've scared a a drakon, then turned in a circle and flopped down so hard the ground shook.

Nico appeared right next to them; Leo almost didn't notice him because his dark clothes made him naturally blend in with the shadows. He stumbled, but Percy caught his arm.

"I'm okay," he managed, rubbing his eyes.

"How did you do that?" Percy asked.

"Practice. A few times running into walls. A few accidental trips to China."

"One trip to a sewer," Leo reminded him.

Nico nodded. "Yeah. Sorry I fell on you by the way."

"It's cool."

"Wait. You two knew each other before the Labyrinth?" Percy asked.

Nico nodded. "When I was first practicing shadow travel, I shadow traveled on top of him. It was awkward. It took us months to figure out why we looked so familiar to each other."

Percy nodded, but he didn't seem to know how to reply to that.

Mrs. O'Leary started snoring. If it hadn't been for the roar of traffic behind them, she would've woken up the whole neighborhood.

"Are you going to take a nap too?" Leo asked Nico.

He shook his head. "The first time I shadow traveled, I passed out for a week. Now it just makes me a little drowsy, but I can't do it more than once or twice a night. Mrs. O'Leary won't be going anywhere for a while."

"So we're going to have some fun time in Connecticut." Leo gazed at the white Colonial house. "What now?"

"We ring the doorbell," Nico said.

Leo immediately knew this woman was off her hinges when Nico said that. A normal person would not open the door for two strange kids. If Luke's mom would, she was... different.

The sidewalk was lined with those little stuffed beanbag animals you see in gift shops. There were miniature lions, pigs, dragons, hydras, even a teeny Minotaur in a little Minotaur diaper. Judging from their sad shape, the beanbag creatures had been sitting out here a long time—since the snow melted last spring at least. One of the hydras had a tree sapling sprouting between its necks.

The stuffed animals only proved Leo's 'crazy' theory.

The front porch was infested with wind chimes. Shiny bits of glass and metal clinked in the breeze. Brass ribbons tinkled like water, and noise rushed through the air.

Leo liked the noise; he hated silence, but still... creepy.

The front door was painted turquoise. The name CASTELLAN was written in English, and below in Greek: Διοικητής φρουρίου.

Nico looked at Percy and Leo. "Ready?"

He'd barely tapped the door when it swung open. Not a good sign.

"Luke!" the old lady cried happily.

She looked like someone who enjoyed sticking her fingers in electrical sockets. Her white hair stuck out in tufts all over her head. Her pink housedress was covered in scorch marks and smears of ash. When she smiled, her face looked unnaturally stretched, and the high-voltage light almost made her appear to be blind.

Leo had seen crazier people, but he had a bad feeling about this woman.

"Oh, my dear boy!" She hugged Nico.

"She thinks Nico is the golden-eyed weirdo?" Leo hissed the Percy, who shrugged.

She suddenly smiled at Percy and said, "Luke!"

She forgot all about Nico and gave Percy a hug.

Don't look at me, don't look at me, don't look at me, Leo thought. For the first time in a long time, he prayed to be invisible; you never want to be noticed by a crazy person. That never ends well; Leo speaks from experience.

Just his luck. She turned to him.

"Leo!" She cried.

Leo paled as she used his real name and embraced him.

She smelled like burned cookies. She was as thin as a scarecrow, but that didn't stop her from almost crushing him.

"Thank you for saving Luke," she said.

' _Is it too late to leave?'_ Leo mouthed to his friends, who were both as white as a sheet.

How had May Castellan known Leo's name? He hadn't mentioned it. He'd remember meeting her in the past (but of course, he was missing some memories).

"Come in!" she insisted. "I have your lunch ready!"

She ushered them inside. The living room was even weirder than the front lawn. Mirrors and candles filled every available space. Above the mantel, a little bronze Hermes flew around the second hand of a ticking clock.

In short, it looked like the living room of one of the orphanges Leo lived in, owned by Miss Sunshine (and yes, that was her real name. He saw the birth certificate). And that was not a good thing because Miss Sunshine was _way_ off the deep end.

The photo of a boy rested on the mantal. Leo had only seen Luke once, but he recognized the younger version of Gold Eyed Villainous Person immediately.

Luke was around nine years old, with blond hair and a big smile and two missing teeth. The lack of a scar on his face made him look like a different person—carefree and happy. Leo preferred this version of Kronos's puppet or host or whatever to the person he fittingly nicknamed Scarface.

"This way, my dear!" Ms. Castellan steered them toward the back of the house. "Oh, I told them you would come back. I knew it!"

She sat the trio down at the kitchen table. Stacked on the counter were hundreds, if not a thousand, of Tupperware boxes with peanut butter and jelly sandwiches inside. The ones on the bottom were green and fuzzy, like they'd been there for a long time. The smell reminded Leo of his second group home. The home actually wasn't awful, but his roommates did not know how to keep the room clean. Considering Leo was the farthest thing from a neat freak, this opinion was impressive.

On top of the oven was a stack of cookie sheets. Each one had a dozen burned cookies on it. In the sink was a mountain of empty plastic Kool-Aid pitchers. A beanbag Medusa sat by the faucet like she was guarding the mess.

Ms. Castellan started humming as she got out peanut butter and jelly and started making a new sandwich. Something was burning in the oven. She must be baking more cookies.

This woman was a worst cook than Leo's old friend, Madison. And Madison managed to burn soup. _Soup_!

Above the sink, taped all around the window, were dozens of little pictures cut from magazines and newspaper ads—pictures of Hermes from the FTD Flowers logo and Quickie Cleaners, pictures of the caduceus from medical ads.

Nico coughed. "Urn, Ms. Castellan?"

"Mm?"

"We need to ask you about your son."

"Oh, yes! They told me he would never come back. But I knew better." She patted Percy's cheek, and when she pulled her hand away, he had peanut butter stripes across his skin. It would've been funny if the event weren't so... anyone know a stronger word for insane and creepy?

"When did you last see him?" Nico asked.

Her eyes lost focus.

"He was so young when he left," she said wistfully. "Third grade. That's too young to run away! He said he'd be back for lunch. And I waited. He likes peanut butter sandwiches and cookies and Kool-Aid. He'll be back for lunch very soon. . . ." Then she looked at Percy and smiled. "Why, Luke, there you are! You look so handsome. You have your father's eyes."

She turned toward the pictures of Hermes above the sink. "Now, there's a good man. Yes, indeed. He comes to visit me, you know."

The clock kept ticking in the other room. Percy wiped the peanut butter off his face and looked at Nico, pleadingly, like Can we get out of here now?

Leo knew that he signed up for this plan, but he agreed. 100%. If they ran while her back was turned, they could make it back to Mrs. O'Leary before she even noticed they were gone.

"Ma'am," Nico said. "What, uh . . . what happened to your eyes?"

Her gaze was scattered—as though she'd konked her head and was seeing double or triple (we've all been there, so I'm sure you know the gaze). "Why, Luke, you know the story. It was right before you were born, wasn't it? I'd always been special, able to see through the . . . whatever-they-call-it."

"The Mist?" Percy suggested.

"Yes, dear." She nodded encouragingly. "And they offered me an important job. That's how special I was!"

"You know what she's talking about?" Leo hissed to Nico.

Nico shook his head, looking just as confused as Percy and Leo.

"What sort of job?" Leo asked. "What happened?"

Ms. Castellan frowned. Her knife hovered over the sandwich bread. "Dear me, it didn't work out, did it? Your father warned me not to try. He said it was too dangerous. But I had to. It was my destiny! And now . . . I still can't get the images out of my head. They make everything seem so fuzzy. Would you like some cookies?"

She pulled a tray out of the oven and dumped a dozen lumps of chocolate chip charcoal on the table.

"Luke was so kind," Ms. Castellan murmured. "He left to protect me, you know. He said if he went away, the monsters wouldn't threaten me. But I told him the monsters are no threat! They sit outside on the sidewalk all day, and they never come in." She picked up the little stuffed Medusa from the windowsill. "Do they, Mrs. Medusa? No, no threat at all." She beamed at Percy. "I'm so glad you came home. I knew you weren't ashamed of me!"

Leo's eyes widened. She had talked to a stuffed animal. That's a sure sign that they should all be running for their lives.

Nico and Percy were creeped out by her, but something in his gut told him to run and never looked back. He sat sideways in his chair, so that his front was facing the door, poised to spring and dash for the exit if needed.

Now, Leo knew what kind of person Luke was running from. Crazy people were unpredictable. They weren't all there. Sometimes, they mistaken one person for another and go off.

Leo rubbed his arms where Ms. Sunshine used to shake him when she was having an _episode_.

He wondered if Mrs. Castellan ever did that to Luke and his father had ignored the abuse for years. If it did play out like that, Leo could understand Luke's bitterness. Did he hate it and think it was the wrong choice, yes, but did he understand it? Absolutely.

"Ms. Castellan," Percy said.

"Mom," she corrected.

"Um, yeah. Have you seen Luke since he left home?"

"Well, of course!"

That can't be good, Leo thought. Bitter, evil Scarface visiting one of the roots of his bitterness. That never ended well. Considering Leo 'visited' Teresa after he left her foster home, he knew that it didn't end well for either party.

Still, Nico sat forward expectantly.

"When?" he asked. "When did Luke visit you last?"

"Well, it was . . . Oh goodness . . ." A shadow passed across her face. "The last time, he looked so different. A scar. A terrible scar, and his voice so full of pain . . ."

"His eyes," Percy said. "Were they gold?"

"Gold?" She blinked. "No. How silly. Luke has blue eyes. Beautiful blue eyes!"

"Ms. Castellan?" Nico put his hand on the old woman's arm. "This is very important. Did he ask you for anything?"

She frowned as if trying to remember. "My—my blessing. Isn't that sweet?" She looked at the trio uncertainly. "He was going to a river, and he said he needed my blessing. I gave it to him. Of course I did."

Nico looked at Percy, triumphantly. "Thank you, ma'am. That's all the information we—"

Ms. Castellan gasped. She doubled over, and her cookie tray clattered to the floor. Nico, Leo, and Percy jumped to their feet.

"Ms. Castellan?" Percy said, panicked.

"AHHHH," She straightened. Percy scrambled away and almost fell over the kitchen table, because her eyes were glowing green.

There's the episode I was waiting for, Leo thought, oddly calm about this. Maybe it's because he'd expected something like this. That didn't make it any less terrifying and freaky, though

"Change his fate," she rasped in a much deeper voice before lunging across the table and grabbing Leo by the shoulders, shaking him hard enough to leave bruises. "Child of time, change his fate."

"Guys!" Leo squeaked (a very manly squeak, of course!) "Percy, Nico, ru-"

Suddenly, Ms. Castellan collapsed. Percy lurched forward and caught her before she could hit the edge of the table. With Nico's help, Percy managed to get her into a chair.

"Ms. C?" Percy asked, wearily, keeping his distance.

She muttered something incomprehensible and shook her head. "Goodness. I . . . I dropped the cookies. How silly of me."

She blinked, and her eyes were back to normal—or at least, what they had been before. The green glow was gone.

"Are you okay?" Percy asked.

"Well, of course, dear. I'm fine. Why do you ask?"

Percy glanced at Nico, who mouthed the word Leave.

Leo didn't need to be told twice. He was already backing towards the door; it took all his effort not to bolt. He'd scramble out a window if he had to.

This woman reminded Leo of Mrs. Sunshine, and Leo did not want to get acquainted with another hauntingly insane person that would not leave Leo alone, even after death. The nightmares of Mrs. Sunshine had stopped years ago, but Leo had a feeling they'd be staring up again.

"Ms. C, you were telling us something," Percy said. "Something about your son."

"Was I?" she said dreamily. "Yes, his blue eyes. We were talking about his blue eyes. Such a handsome boy!"

"We have to go," Nico said urgently. "We'll tell Luke . . . uh, we'll tell him you said hello."

"But you can't leave!" Ms. Castellan got shakily to her feet, and Leo practically leaped a foot backwards.

"Hermes will be here soon," she promised. "He'll want to see his boy!"

"Maybe next time," Leo said, his voice much more high pitched than usual. "Thank you for everything."

She tried to stop them, to offer them Kool-Aid, but Leo had to get out of that house, and the others felt the same way. On the front porch, she grabbed Percy's wrist and he almost jumped out of his skin. "Luke, at least be safe. Promise me you'll be safe."

"I will . . . Mom."

That made her smile. She released Percy's wrist and turned to Leo.

"Remember what I said, child of time. You're the only one that can save my Luke."

She didn't elaborate, and as she closed the front door Leo could hear her talking to the candles: "You hear that? He will be safe. I told you he would be! And the fire user-"

As the door shut, the three demigods ran. The little beanbag animals on the sidewalk seemed to grin at the trio as they passed.

Fire user. How did she know?

* * *

Back at the cliff, Mrs. O'Leary had found a friend, one Leo recognized.

A cozy campfire crackled in a ring of stones. A girl about eight years old was sitting cross-legged next to Mrs. O'Leary, scratching the hellhound's ears.

The girl had mousy brown hair and a simple brown dress. She wore a scarf over her head so she looked like a pioneer kid. She prodded the fire with a stick, and it seemed to glow more richly red than a normal fire.

"Hello," she said.

"Lady Hestia," Leo greeted, bowing.

Nico bowed to the goddess. "Hello again, Lady."

She studied Percy with eyes as red as the firelight, and Percy, although confused, followed his friends' examples by bowing.

"There is no need to bow, demigods," she giggled. "Sit, children. Would you like some dinner?"

Leo didn't think he'd be able to eat after what just happened, but Hestia waved her hand and a picnic appeared at the edge of the fire. There were plates of roast beef, baked potatoes, buttered carrots, fresh bread, and a whole bunch of other foods Leo hasn't had... ever. Leo's mom was poor, and Leo rarely stayed in his foster homes long enough to see a holiday or a special occassion. People cooked these foods on Christmas and Thanksgiving and Easter; Leo's holidays were spent in sewers, eating stolen candy bars and if he was lucky, some nicked fruit or cookies or something. Leo had only seen these kinds of food through windows as he wandered the streets.

The goddess made a five-foot-long dog biscuit appear for Mrs. O'Leary, who happily began tearing it to shreds.

The demigods picked up their food, and Leo, Percy, and Nico each scraped part of their meal into the flames.

"For the gods," Percy said.

Leo honestly wasn't sure if the gods deserved ot. After all, his dad allowed him to rot on the streets and in foster care for years without so much as a small portion of guidance. His dad watched as he was abused, pushed around, stalked by monsters, beaten, neglected; he watched as Leo fell into a spiral of depression, and there was nothing. Not one sign that his dad cared about him.

And after meeting May Castellan and piecing together some of Luke's past, Leo saw that his dad wasn't the only one that stood by and did nothing.

Hestia gazed at Leo, as though reading his mind, but luckily, she didn't say anything.

Instead, she turned to the other two and smiled. "Thank you. As tender of the flame, I get a share of every sacrifice, you know."

"I recognize you now," Percy said. "The first time I came to camp, you were sitting by the fire, in the middle of the commons area."

"You did not stop to talk," the girl recalled sadly. "Alas, most never do. Nico talked to me. He was the first in many years. Everyone rushes about. No time for visiting family."

"You're Hestia," Percy said. "Goddess of the Hearth."

She nodded.

"My lady," Nico asked, "why aren't you with the other Olympians, fighting Typhon?"

"I'm not much for fighting." Her red eyes flickered, filled with flame, but it wasn't intimidating. It was comforting.

"Besides," she said, "someone has to keep the home fires burning while the other gods are away."

"So you're guarding Mount Olympus?" Leo asked.

"'Guard' may be too strong a word. But if you ever need a warm place to sit and a home-cooked meal, you are welcome to visit. Now eat."

The three demigods scarfed down their food, and Leo was surprised by how fast he cleared his plate after eating nothing but soup and crackers for two weeks.

"That was great," Leo said. "Thank you, Hestia."

She nodded. "Did you have a good visit with May Castellan?"

"What's wrong with her, exactly?" Percy asked.

"She was born with a gift," Hestia said. "She could see through the Mist."

"Like my mother," Percy said. "But the glowing eyes thing—"

"Some bear the curse of sight better than others," the goddess said sadly. "For a while, May Castellan had many talents. She attracted the attention of Hermes himself. They had a beautiful baby boy. For a brief time, she was happy. And then she went too far."

Ms. Castellan had said: They offered me an important job . . . It didn't work out.

Whatever job it was, it left its mark on her.

"One minute she was all happy," Nico said. "And then she was freaking out about changing fate and a child of time. What happened to . . . to make her so scattered?"

The goddess's face darkened. "That is a story I do not like to tell. But May Castellan saw too much. If you are to understand your enemy Luke, you must understand his family."

"No wonder Luke ran away," Percy said. "I mean, it wasn't right to leave his mom like that, but still—he was just a kid. Hermes shouldn't have abandoned them."

Hestia scratched behind Mrs. O'Leary's ears. The hellhound wagged her tail and accidentally knocked over a tree.

"It's easy to judge others," Hestia warned. "But will you follow Luke's path? Seek the same powers?"

Nico set down his plate. "We have no choice, my lady. It's the only way Percy stands a chance."

"Mmm." Hestia opened her hand and the fire roared. Flames shot thirty feet into the air. Nico and Percy jumped at the sudden heat, but Leo, being a fire user, remained unaffected. Then the fire died back down to normal.

"Not all powers are spectacular." Hestia looked at Percy. "Sometimes the hardest power to master is the power of yielding. Do you believe me?"

"Uh-huh," Percy said, a little nervously.

The goddess smiled. "You are a good hero, Percy Jackson. Not too proud. I like that. But you have much to learn. When Dionysus was made a god, I gave up my throne for him. It was the only way to avoid a civil war among the gods."

"It unbalanced the Council," Percy remembered. "Suddenly there were seven guys and five girls."

Hestia shrugged. "It was the best solution, not a perfect one. Now I tend the fire. I fade slowly into the background. No one will ever write epic poems about the deeds of Hestia. Most demigods don't even stop to talk to me. But that is no matter. I keep the peace. I yield when necessary. Can you do this?"

"I don't know what you mean."

She studied the son of Poseidon. "Perhaps not yet. But soon. Will you continue your quest?"

"Is that why you're here—to warn me against going?"

Hestia shook her head. "I am here because when all else fails, when all the other mighty gods have gone off to war, I am all that's left. Home. Hearth. I am the last Olympian. You must remember me when you face your final decision."

Final. When you're a demigod, final is never a good term.

Percy looked at Nico and Leo, then back at Hestia's warm glowing eyes. "I have to continue, my lady. I have to stop Luke . . . I mean Kronos."

Hestia nodded. "Very well. I cannot be of much assistance, beyond what I have already told you. But since you sacrificed to me, I can return you to your own hearth. I will see you again, Percy, on Olympus."

Her tone was ominous, as though the next meeting would not be happy.

"Oh, and son of fire" she said, turning to Leo. "Tell them. They will not judge you; they will not hate you. If you are going to succeed, you need to learn to trust those around you."

Leo didnt know what that meant, but he didn't get the chance to ask because the goddess waved her hand, and everything faded away.

* * *

Suddenly, they were somewhere else. Nico, Leo and Percy were sitting on the couch in an apartment Leo didn't recognize. The rest of the living room was occupied by Mrs. O'Leary, and Leo felt bad for whoever lived here, considering Mrs, O'Leary would surely destroy the living room.

There was a muffled yell from the bedroom. A man's voice said, "Who put this wall of fur in the doorway?"

"Percy?" A female voice called out. "Are you here? Are you all right?"

Leo recognized the voice, but he couldn't quite place it.

"I'm here!" Percy shouted back.

"WOOF!" Mrs. O'Leary tried to turn in a circle to find the source of the voices, knocking all the pictures off the walls.

It took a few minutes, but they finally got things worked out. After destroying most of the furniture in the living room and probably making the neighbors really mad, they got the people out of the bedroom and into the kitchen, where they sat around the kitchen table. Mrs. O'Leary still took up the entire living room, but she'd settled her head in the kitchen doorway so she could see them, which made her happy.

Now that Leo could see the people, he realized where he'd heard the voice before. Percy's mom. He'd only met her once; he'd met her when she'd come to pick Percy up from camp last summer.

Percy's mom tossed the hellhound a ten-pound family-size tube of ground beef, which disappeared down her throat. Percy's step dad (begins with a P... Peter? Paul? Something along those lines) poured lemonade for the five of them while Percy explained about their visit to Connecticut.

"So it's true." Peter/Paul/whatever stared at Percy like he'd never seen him before. "All the talk about monsters, and being a demigod . . . it's really true."

Percy nodded. "Sorry about Mrs. O'Leary," he said, "destroying the living room and all."

Peter/Paul/whatever laughed like he was delighted. "Are you kidding? This is awesome! I mean, when I saw the hoofprints on the Prius, I thought maybe. But this!"

He patted Mrs. O'Leary's snout. The living room shook—BOOM, BOOM, BOOM—which either meant the police had kicked in the door (Leo would like to hive a piece of advice: if that happens hide under your bed; they never look there) or Mrs. O'Leary was wagging her tail.

Percy smiled, trying not to laugh.

"Thanks for not freaking out," he said.

"Oh, I'm freaking out," the man promised, his eyes wide. "I just think it's awesome!"

"Yeah, well," Percy said with a tone that meant bad news, "you may not be so excited when you hear what's happening."

He informed Peter/Paul/whatever and his mom about Typhon, and the gods, and the battle that was sure to come. Then he told them Nico's plan.

Leo looked over Percy's mom's shoulder and in the kitchen window, silvery moon lace glowed in the flower box.

It looked so familiar...

Percy's mom (Suzy? Sally? Leo was horrible at names) took a deep breath.

"Percy, it's dangerous," she said. "Even for you."

"Mom, I know. I could die. Nico explained that. But if we don't try—"

"We'll all die," Nico said. "Ms. Jackson, we don't stand a chance against an invasion. And there will be an invasion."

"An invasion of New York?" Peter/Paul/whatever said. "Is that even possible? How could we not see the . . . the monsters?"

"I don't know," Percy admitted. "I don't see how Kronos could just march into Manhattan, but the Mist is strong. Typhon is trampling across the country right now, and mortals think he's a storm system."

"Ms. Jackson," Nico said, "Percy needs your blessing. The process has to start that way. I wasn't sure until we met Luke's mom, but now I'm positive. This has only been done successfully twice before. Both times, the mother had to give her blessing. She had to be willing to let her son take the risk."

"You want me to bless this?" She shook her head. "It's crazy. Percy, please—"

"Mom, I can't do it without you."

"And if you survive this . . . this process?"

"Then I go to war," Percy said. "Me against Kronos. And only one of us will survive."

None of them informed her of the prophecy. It was too complicated to explain how it changed and which would come true and if it would change again.

"You're my son," she said miserably. "I can't just . . ."

"Sally." Peter/Paul/whatever (he'd figured out his name eventually) placed his hand over Sally's. "I can't claim to know what you and Percy have been going through all these years. But it sounds to me . . . it sounds like Percy is doing something noble. I wish I had that much courage."

Sally considered this for a moment.

"Percy," she said, slowly, "I give you my blessing."

Nico nodded. "It's time."

"Percy," Sally said. "One last thing. If you . . . if you survive this fight with Kronos, send me a sign." She rummaged through her purse and handed me her cell phone.

"Mom," Percy said, "you know demigods and phones—"

"I know," she said. "But just in case. If you're not able to call . . . maybe a sign that I could see from anywhere in Manhattan. To let me know you're okay."

"Like Theseus," Peter/Paul/whatever suggested. "He was supposed to raise white sails when he came home to Athens."

"Except he forgot," Nico muttered. "And his father jumped off the palace roof in despair. But other than that, it was a great idea."

Leo elbowed Nico so hard, the son of Hades almost toppled out of his chair.

"Sorry, bad time," Nico apologized.

"What about a flag or a flare?" my mom said. "From Olympus—the Empire State Building."

"Something blue," Percy said.

Leo almost laughed. Percy's obsession with blue was just hilarious. He even drank blue Coke; the first time he did that, Leo thought someone was pranking Percy, but when nothing happened, Percy explained his obsession with anything and everything blue.

"Yes," Sally agreed. "I'll watch for a blue signal. And I'll try to avoid jumping off palace roofs."

She gave Percy one last hug, and Percy shook hands with his step-dad.

Then the trio walked to the kitchen doorway and looked at Mrs. O'Leary.

"Sorry, girl," Percy said. "Shadow travel time again."

She whimpered and crossed her paws over her snout.

"Where now?" Percy asked Nico. "Los Angeles?"

"No need," he said. "There's a closer entrance to the Underworld."

* * *

 _A few details:_

 _I Keep mentioning Mrs. Sunshine. She's a **special** person. I don't know if I'll mention her much for the rest of the story, but let's just say Gaea had something to with her mental state._

 _Second of all, Leo a little OOC, and that's because the meeting with Ms. Castellan threw him for a loop. You know those times where something happens, and you spend three days walking around like a zombie, trying to wrap your head around it? That's what this was like. Don't worry, Leo will be back to himself next chapter._

 _Thirdly, Leo mentioned that Calypso's moon lace looked familiar, but he's been paired with Reyna, so how can that be? All will be explained in time, my dear readers._

 ** _Trivia (PJO):_**

 **What is the name of Leo's cousin?**


	9. Leo Talks Nico Out Of A Very Bad Plan

_Chapter nine has arrived!_

 _Here are the characters that have been suggested by trivia winners and when I plan for them to appear. If I'm forgetting anyone, please PM me and let me know._

 _Frank- this chapter (in a memory) and possibly in future chapters_

 _Dakota-undetermined time_

 _Hazel- this chapter (in a memory)_

 _Will- already appeared and possibly will appear more later_

 _Lacy and Mitchell (from Aphrodite)- I'll try to do them next chapter (but I make no promises because sometimes my ideas change)_

 _Ethan Nakurama- I'm not entirely sure, but maybe before the Ares kids join the battle? I think I have a plan for that._

 _Let me know if I'm missing anyone!_

 _ALSO, ... SEPARATES THE MEMORIES (you'll understand what I mean when you get there)_

 ** _Disclaimer: I own nothing. I have taken some descriptions from The Last Olympian, so I own nothing that you recognize. The italicized part is taken from The Mark of Athena for the most part._**

* * *

They emerged in Central Park just north of the Pond. Mrs. O'Leary looked exhausted (seriously, she looked like Leo during exam week at school) as she limped over to a cluster of boulders. She started sniffing around, and Percy looked worried (Leo could understand that. The last thing they needed was a hellhound using Central Park as a bathroom) but Nico said, "It's okay. She just smells the way home."

Percy frowned. "Through the _rocks?"_

"The Underworld has two major entrances," Nico explained. "You know the one in L.A."

"Charon's ferry."

Nico nodded. "Most souls go that way, but there's a smaller path, harder to find. The Door of Orpheus."

"The dude with the harp."

"Dude with the lyre," Nico corrected. "But yeah, him. He used his music to charm the earth and open a new path into the Underworld. He sang his way right into Hades's palace and almost got away with his wife's soul."

Leo vaguely remembered that story (being at camp had caused him to pick up a few random facts and stories on Greek Mythology), but he didn't try to remember the details. All he knew was that it wasn't a good story.

"So this is the Door of Orpheus," Percy said, trying and failing to look impressed.

"How does it open?" Leo said.

"We need music," Nico said. "How's your singing?"

"Um, no. Can't you just, like, tell it to open? You're the son of Hades and all," Percy asked.

"It's not so easy. We need music."

"If I have some material, I could make something," Leo said, placing his hands on his waist. "Oh, wait, tool belt got confiscated by Will, the _jerk_."

"Hey!" Nico snapped. "That's my friend you're talking about."

Leo blinked, owlishly, before smiling in realization.

Nico looked like he wanted to ask what that smile meant, but Percy interrupted.

"I have a better idea." Percy turned and called, "GROVER!"

They waited for a long time. Mrs. O'Leary curled up and took a nap. Crickets chirped in the woods and an owl hooted (is that even a word? Leo wondered). Traffic hummed along Central Park West. Horse hooves clopped down a nearby path, maybe a mounted police patrol. Once again, Leo poised himself to run; if the police showed up, he'd be shipped back into foster care.

"It's no good," Nico said at last.

Percy shut his eyes, and although Leo wanted to ask what was going on, he had a feeling breaking Percy's concentration would ruin the effect of whatever the heck he was doing.

Percy suddenly stumbled, and Leo and Nico each grabbed one of his arms to prevent him from getting acquainted with the ground.

"Dude, is there a reason you tried to ask the ground on a date?" Leo asked. "You shouldn't be doing that; Annabeth will get jealous."

Percy punched Leo in the arm as he stood up before launching into an explanation.

"I got through. He's . . . yeah. He's on his way."

A minute later, the tree next to them shivered. Grover fell out of the branches, right on his head.

"Grover!" Percy yelled.

"Woof!" Mrs. O'Leary looked up, probably wondering if they were going to play fetch with the satyr.

"Blah-haa-haa!" Grover bleated.

"You okay, man?" Percy asked in concern.

"Oh, I'm fine." He rubbed his head. His horns had grown so much they poked an inch above his curly hair. "I was at the other end of the park. The dryads had this great idea of passing me through the trees to get me here. They don't understand height very well."

He grinned and got to his feet—well, his hooves, actually.

"Good to see you, G-man," Percy said. "You remember Nico and Leo."

Grover nodded at Nico, but when his eyes centered on Leo, he frowned.

"What happened to you?" He asked, gesturing to the cast around Leo's wrist.

Leo shook his head. "What happened to _me_? What happened to _you_ , Mr. MIA?"

Grover frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"We were worried," Percy said. "Where've you been the last two months?"

"The last two—" Grover's smile faded. "The last two months? What are you talking about?"

"We haven't heard from you," Percy said. "Juniper's worried. We sent Iris-messages, but—"

"Hold on." He looked up at the stars like he was trying to calculate his position. "What month is this?"

"June."

The color drained from his face. "That's impossible. It's April. I just lay down to take a nap and . . ."

He grabbed Percy's arms, horror written across his face.. "I remember now! He knocked me out. Percy, we have to stop him!"

"Whoa," Percy said. "Slow down. Tell me what happened."

He took a deep breath. "I was . . . I was walking in the woods up by Harlem Meer. And I felt this tremble in the ground, like something powerful was near."

"You can sense stuff like that?" Nico asked.

Grover nodded. "Since Pan's death, I can feel when something is wrong in nature. It's like my ears and eyes are sharper when I'm in the Wild. Anyway, I started following the scent. This man in a long black coat was walking through the park, and I noticed he didn't cast a shadow. Middle of a sunny day, and he cast no shadow. He kind of shimmered as he moved."

"Like a mirage?" Nico asked.

"Yes," Grover said. "And whenever he passed humans—"

"The humans would pass out," Nico said. "Curl up and go to sleep."

"That's right! Then after he was gone, they'd get up and go about their business like nothing happened."

Leo stared at Nico. "You know this guy in black?"

"Afraid so," Nico said. "Grover, what happened?"

"I followed the guy. He kept looking up at the buildings around the park like he was making estimates or something. This lady jogger ran by, and she curled up on the sidewalk and started snoring. The guy in black put his hand on her forehead like he was checking her temperature. Then he kept walking. By this time, I knew he was a monster or something even worse. I followed him into this grove, to the base of a big elm tree. I was about to summon some dryads to help me capture him when he turned and . . ."

Grover swallowed. "Percy, his face. I couldn't make out his face because it kept shifting. Just looking at him made me sleepy. I said, 'What are you doing?' He said, 'Just having a look around. You should always scout a battlefield before the battle.' I said something really smart like, 'This forest is under my protection. You won't start any battles here!' And he laughed. He said, 'You're lucky I'm saving my energy for the main event, little satyr. I'll just grant you a short nap. Pleasant dreams.' And that's the last thing I remember."

Nico exhaled. "Grover, you met Morpheus, the God of Dreams. You're lucky you ever woke up."

"Two months," Grover moaned. "He put me to sleep for two months!"

"Sleep? More like a coma," Leo corrected.

"Why didn't the nymphs try to wake you?" Percy asked.

Grover shrugged. "Most nymphs aren't good with time. Two months for a tree—that's nothing. They probably didn't think anything was wrong."

"We've got to figure out what Morpheus was doing in the park," Percy said. "I don't like this 'main event' thing he mentioned."

"He's working for Kronos," Nico said. "We know that already. A lot of the minor gods are. This just proves there's going to be an invasion. Percy, we have to get on with our plan."

"Wait," Grover said. "What plan?"

They told him, and Grover started tugging at his leg fur.

"You're not serious," he said. "Not the Underworld again."

"I'm not asking you to come, man," Percy promised. "I know you just woke up. But we need some music to open the door. Can you do it?"

Grover took out his reed pipes. "I guess I could try. I know a few Nirvana tunes that can split rocks. But, Percy, are you sure you want to do this?"

"Please, man," Percy said. "It would mean a lot. For old times' sake?"

He whimpered. "As I recall, in the old times we almost died a lot. But okay, here goes nothing."

He put his pipes to his lips and played a shrill, lively tune. The boulders trembled. A few more stanzas, and they cracked open, revealing a triangular crevice.

Leo peered inside. Steps led down into the darkness. The air smelled of mildew and death. It reminded Leo of the Labyrinth, and he tried to keep the terror out of his eyes as he remembered the maze that literally lead him to his destiny and almost to his death.

Percy turned to Grover. "Thanks . . . I think."

"Perrrrcy, is Kronos really going to invade?"

"I wish I could tell you better, but yeah. He will."

Grover straightened up and brushed off his T-shirt. "I've got to rally the nature spirits, then. Maybe we can help. I'll see if we can find this Morpheus.'"

"Better tell Juniper you're okay, too."

His eyes widened. "Juniper! Oh, she's going to kill me!"

"Yeah, she is," Leo called as Grover hugged Percy.

"Good luck! Come back alive," the satyr said before bounding off, sprinting across the park.

"You know, we just got Grover back, and we're probably going to lose him again," Leo said. "Juniper is going to murder him and then bring him back from the Underworld to kill him again."

His friends nodded in agreement.

Nico tried to rouse Mrs. O'Leary from her nap, but when he failed, Leo and Percy went to help him. They rolled her on her back, and she still didn't wake up! Needless to say, it took a while.

When she smelled the tunnel, she got excited and led the way down the steps. It was a pretty tight fit; Leo didn't know what they'd do if she got stuck.

"Ready?" Nico asked Percy. "It'll be fine. Don't worry."

He sounded like he was trying to convince himself.

Leo recognized that voice. He'd known Nico for only a year, but he knew Nico better than any other living person did.

"What are you planning?" He asked Nico.

Nico stared at him in bewilderment. "What do you mean?"

"You're planning something behind the scenes, aren't you?" Leo whispered so that Percy wouldn't hear.

Nico frowned, "How'd you know?"

"I know you, Nico. I'm not going to ask you what it is, but Nico, you're a good person. Make the right decision."

Pure instinct drove Leo to say that, but Nico's eyes told him it was the right thing to say.

Without another word, they continued down the stairs.

* * *

The stairs went on forever—narrow, steep, and slippery. It was completely dark except for the light of Percy's sword; Leo wanted to light a fire, desperately, to shove aside some of the shadows, but he had a feeling that would freak Nico and Percy out. Mrs. O'Leary bounded ahead, barking happily. The sound echoed through the tunnel like cannon shots.

So much for the element of surprise, Leo thought. If someone was at the bottom, ambush would be an epic fail.

Nico didn't speak much, and Leo knew he was contemplating what Leo had told him. Whatever he'd been planning hadn't been good.

They emerged at the base of a cliff, on a plain of black volcanic sand. To the right, a polluted black river gushed from the rocks and roared off in a cascade of rapids. To the left, far away in the gloom, fires burned.

Shockingly, Leo was not freaked out. Even though, in his mind, the Labyrinth was the only thing he'd seen that was more terrifying, his gut told him he'd seen much worse.

That made him wonder if he really wanted to reclaim the lost memories.

Mrs. O'Leary was ecstatic. She ran along the beach, picked up a random human leg bone, and bounded back toward them. She dropped the bone at Percy's feet and waited for him to throw it.

"Um, maybe later, girl," he said, sounding detached. "So, Nico . . . how do we do this?"

Nico hesitated.

"Nico?" Percy asked.

Leo just gazed at him, waiting for him to make a decision. He knew Nico well; even though they hadn't even been friends for 365 days, they were the equivalent of Percy and Grover, which is to say, best friends. Besides, Nico was thinking so loudly, Leo reckoned the ghosts could hear his thoughts on the other side of the Underworld.

Nico finally sighed. "Sorry. Let's do this."

"Do . . . I just jump in?" Percy asked.

Leo honestly thought that was a horrible idea as he gazed at the river, polluted with old papers, wedding dresses, toys, a photograph of...

No way.

Leo froze and knelt beside the river, careful not to touch the water as he fished an old photograph from it.

Heating his hand, he made sure that his skin didn't catch on fire and ran his hand above the picture, watching the picture dry as though he were holding a blow dryer over it.

With the water gone, there was no mistaking it.

The photo was a picture of a little boy on his mother's lap, and Leo would know the picture anywhere. It should be impossible, though; it'd burned, along with everything else, in the worshop...

"Is that you?" Percy asked, pointing to the little boy in the photograph. Luckily, neither him nor Nico realized that the photo was suddenly dry.

Leo nodded. "With mi mamá."

Nico swallowed. "Leo, I... I'm sorry for your loss."

Leo shook his head. "It was a long time ago," he said.

Nonetheless, he pocketed the now dry picture.

"How does Percy do this?" Leo questioned, changing the subject.

"You have to prepare yourself first," Nico said, turning to Percy, "or the river will destroy you. It will burn away your body and soul."

"Sounds fun," Percy muttered.

"This is no joke," Nico warned. "There is only one way to stay anchored to your mortal life. You have to . . ."

Leo interrupted him. "Guys?" He squeaked, sounding like a terrified little girl.

Nico followed Leo's gaze, and his eyes widened. Percy turned and found himself face-to-face with a Greek warrior.

He was tall and buff, with a cruel scarred face and closely shaved black hair. He wore a white tunic and bronze armor. He held a plumed war helm under his arm. But his eyes were pale green like a shallow sea, and a bloody arrow stuck out of his left calf, just above the ankle. His Achilles heel. Oh, no.

"Achilles," Percy said.

The ghost nodded. "I warned the other one not to follow my path. Now I will warn you."

"Luke? You spoke with Luke?"

"Do not do this," he said. "It will make you powerful. But it will also make you weak. Your prowess in combat will be beyond any mortal's, but your weaknesses, your failings will increase as well."

"You mean I'll have a bad heel?" Percy said. "Couldn't I just, like, wear something besides sandals? No offense."

He stared down at his bloody foot. "The heel is only my physical weakness, demigod. My mother, Thetis, held me there when she dipped me in the Styx. What really killed me was my own arrogance. Beware! Turn back!"

"I have to," Percy said. "Otherwise I don't stand a chance."

Achilles lowered his head. "Let the gods witness I tried. Hero, if you must do this, concentrate on your mortal point. Imagine one spot of your body that will remain vulnerable. This is the point where your soul will anchor your body to the world. It will be your greatest weakness, but also your only hope. No man may be completely invulnerable. Lose sight of what keeps you mortal, and the River Styx will burn you to ashes. You will cease to exist."

"I don't suppose you could tell me Luke's mortal point?"

He scowled. "Prepare yourself, foolish boy. Whether you survive this or not, you have sealed your doom!"

It was worth a shot, Leo thought.

On that wonderful note, he vanished.

"Percy," Nico said, "maybe he's right."

"This was your idea."

"I know, but now that we're here—"

"Nico, he has to," Leo stated. "Piece of advice, focus on your friends. Annabeth, Tyson, Grover, us."

Nico frowned. "How do you know that will work?"

Leo shrugged. "I don't know where the pearls of wisdom are coming from, but Achilles told you to focus on your mortal point. Your friends and family are your mortal point."

Leo didn't know what was making him say this. Leo had not been considered wise a day in his life; it was as though someone else-someone older, wiser, smarter- was speaking through him. Someone who had seen too much.

"Wait on the shore," Percy said.

Percy waded into the river, slowly, never wavering as he disappeared beneath the surface.

"Do we just wait?" Leo asked Nico.

"I guess so," the son of Hades replied.

"So what were you planning?" Leo asked.

Nico sighed. "To take him to my father."

"Why?"

"My father wants to talk to him. In exchange for bringing him to my father, I'd get information on my mom and my family."

"Dude, ever heard of the library?" Leo asked.

Nico frowned. "What?"

"Nico, we could find out everything on your family just by looking up your name in the library, and if we're fast, we can look you up on the Internet and run before the monsters get there," Leo pointed out.

Nico said, "I never thought of that."

Leo nodded. "Just look up your name, Bianca's, and Hazel's, and you'll find something."

"Who's Hazel?"

Leo frowned. "Isn't that your sister?"

"I only have one sister, Bianca," Nico answered.

"Guess I just... mixed something up," Leo said, slowly, but he turned and his eyes were, for some reason, attracted to the Fields of Asphodel.

The memories hit him like a ton of bricks.

 _"Frank, I'll be back. Just…watch Leo. Please," a girl that lookef like an older version of Annabeth said._

 _A babyish, Asian teenager-Frank, she'd called him- nodded._

 _The Annabeth look a like left._

 _Once she was gone, Leo and Frank stared at each other. The big dude looked pretty odd in his bedsheet toga, with his gray pullover hoodie and jeans, and a bow and quiver from the ship's armory slung over his shoulder._

 _"So," Frank said. "Your name isn't Sammy?"_

 _Leo scowled. "What kind of question is that?"_

 _"Nothing," Frank said quickly. "I just— Nothing. About the firing on the camp... Octavian could be behind it, like magically or something. He didn't want the Romans getting along with you guys."_

 _"Look," he said, "I should talk to Festus and get a damage report. You mind… ?"_

 _Frank helped him up. "Who is Festus?"_

 _"My friend," Leo said. "His name isn't Sammy either, in case you're wondering. Come on. I'll introduce you."_

 _..._

 _A woman that looked identical to Leo's Aunt Rosa (Nemesis, a voice in the back of his mind whispered) popped a fortune cookie in her mouth and swallowed it, including the paper inside. "You'll see. Perhaps they will teach you a lesson, Hazel Levesque. Most heroes cannot escape their nature, even when given a second chance at life." She smiled. "And speaking of your brother Nico, you don't have much time. Let's see…it's June twenty-fifth? Yes, after today, six more days. Then he dies, along with the entire city of Rome."_

 _The girl beside Leo-evidently Hazel- widened her eyes. "How…what—?"_

 _"And as for you, child of fire." She turned to Leo. "Your worst hardships are yet to come. You will always be the outsider, the seventh wheel. You will not find a place among your brethren. Soon you will face a problem you cannot solve, though I could help you…for a price."_

 _Leo smelled smoke. He realized fingers on his left hand were ablaze, and Hazel was staring at him in terror._

 _He shoved his hand in his pocket to extinguish the flames. "I like to solve my own problems."_

 _"Very well." Nemesis brushed cookie dust off her jacket._

 _"But, um, what sort of price are we talking about?"_

 _The goddess shrugged. "One of my children recently traded an eye for the ability to make a real difference in the world."_

 _Leo's stomach churned. "You…want an eye?"_

 _"In your case, perhaps another sacrifice would do. But something just as painful. Here." She handed him an unbroken fortune cookie. "If you need an answer, break this. It will solve your problem."_

 _Leo's hand trembled as he held the fortune cookie. "What problem?"_

 _"You'll know when the time comes."_

 _"No, thanks," Leo said firmly. But his hand, as though it had a will of its own, slipped the cookie into his tool belt._

 _Nemesis picked another cookie from her bag and cracked it open. "You will have cause to reconsider your choices soon. Oh, I like that one. No changes needed here."_

 _She resealed the cookie and tossed it into the basket. "Very few gods will be able to help you on the quest. Most are already incapacitated, and their confusion will only grow worse. One thing might bring unity to Olympus again—an old wrong finally avenged. Ah, that would be sweet indeed, the scales finally balanced! But it will not happen unless you accept my help."_

 _"I suppose you won't tell us what you're talking about," Hazel muttered. "Or why my brother Nico has only six days to live. Or why Rome is going to be destroyed."_

 _Nemesis chuckled. She rose and slung her sack of cookies over her shoulder. "Oh, it's all tied together, Hazel Levesque. As for my offer, Leo Valdez, give it some thought. You're a good child. A hard worker. We could do business. But I have detained you too long. You should visit the reflecting pool before the light fades. My poor cursed boy gets quite…agitated when the darkness comes."_

 _Leo didn't like the sound of that, but the goddess climbed on the motorcycle behind her. Nemesis revved her engine and disappeared in a mushroom cloud of black smoke._

 _Hazel bent down. All the broken cookies and fortunes had disappeared except for one crumpled slip of paper. She picked it up and read, "You will see yourself reflected, and you will have reason to despair."_

 _"Fantastic," Leo grumbled. "Let's go see what that means."_

 _..._

 _"No more seconds!" Wolf Head shouted. "Open this gate now, or they die."_

 _The possessed Taser ball lashed out with its tendrils and sent another shock through Hazel and Frank. Their unconscious bodies flinched. That kind of electricity might have stopped their hearts._

 _Leo held back tears. This was too hard. He couldn't do it._

 _He stared at the face of the sphere—seven rings, each one covered with tiny Greek letters, numbers, and zodiac signs. The answer wouldn't be pi. Archimedes would never do the same thing twice. Besides, just by putting his hand on the sphere Leo could feel that the sequence had been generated randomly. It was something only Archimedes would know._

 _Supposedly, Archimedes's last words had been: Don't disturb my circles._

 _No one knew what that meant, but Leo could apply it to this sphere. The lock was much too complicated. Maybe if Leo had a few years, he could decipher the markings and figure out the right combination, but he didn't even have a few seconds._

 _He was out of time. Out of luck. And his friends were going to die._

 _A problem you cannot solve, said a voice in his mind. Nemesis…she'd told him to expect this moment. Leo thrust his hand in his pocket and brought out the fortune cookie. The goddess had warned him of a great price for her help—as great as losing an eye. But if he didn't try, his friends would die._

 _"I need the access code for this sphere," he said._

 _He broke open the cookie._

"Leo!"

The image of the fortune cookie faded away, replaced by the concerned gazes of Percy Jackson and Nico Di Angelo.

"Wh-What happened?" He stammered.

Percy shrugged. "I came out of the river, and you were just gazing into space. We did everything. I splashed you with water; we screamed at you; we even slapped you."

"You've been like that for almost fifteen minutes. We thought about feeding you Ambrosia, but you responded right before we did," Nico added. "What happened?"

Leo shook his head. "Memories. I only remember snippets of it, but there was something really weird about one of them."

"What?" Nico asked.

"Your name came up," Leo said, nodding at Nico. "There was this girl. Hazel. And a guy. Fred? No. Francis? No. Frank! That's what it was."

"We better get you to Will," Percy said.

Leo shook his head. "No. I'm fine. I'm supposed to reclaim these memories."

"But if that happens in the middle of a battle-"

"I'll trust you or one of our allies to have my back. Anyway, did the river work?" He asked Percy.

Percy shrugged. "We don't know yet."

"Well, let's find out."

Leo grabbed Percy's wrist and drew his dagger.

"I'm going to press down lightly at first and then increase the pressure. You tell me when it starts to hurt."

Percy looked a little weary, but since they had no other way to test it, he allowed Leo to press the metal against his skin (in a safe area, of course).

Leo barely pressed it at first before increasing the pressure until Leo was pushing all of his strength into it. Percy didn't feel it. His skin hadn't broken.

"Well, either I need a new dagger or the river worked," Leo said.

Percy nodded.

"We need to head back to the surface," Leo said. "Nico, can I ask you a favor?"

Nico nodded.

"Go to your father. Try to convince him to help. Other than Hestia, he's the only god that might help right now."

Nico paled. "But my father-"

"Is stubborn. I've never met him personally, but I've heard stories. Make him listen. Nico, you're his only living child; he won't kill you."

Nico snorted.

"Nico, I've learned to trust my instincts. Something tells me your dad will not smite you or whatever. Who else would prove to the world that not all children of Hades are insane, evil jerks?"

Nico shrugged, seeing his point.

"My point is, Nico... try. We can't defeat this army without some help from the gods. Hestia won't fight; she can help in some ways, but she won't involve herself in the fighting. Hades is our best chance, if not our only chance."

Nico considered it for a moment before nodding.

"Go. I'll talk to my father, and hopefully, you'll see us on the battle field."

Leo nodded. "Thanks."

And then, the trio split into an individual and a duo.

The duo headed for the Land of the Living.

Leo glanced at the Fields of Asphodel from across the Underworld and a small voice in the back of his mind whispered a single word:

Hazel.

* * *

 _A few notes:_

 _1\. Remember that I altered the time line. It's almost the end of June, but it'll still work out to end on August 18th._

 _2\. I know I made it sound like there was some romance between Leo and Hazel, but there won't be. After Leo got over his crush in The Mark of Athena, I think he saw Hazel as a little sister._

 _3\. Also, I know Percy isn't doing much right now. Leo will be a follower, and Percy will still be the hero of the hour. Leo will do a lot of planning and talking (like when he talked Nico into going to his father). He will also be involved when people originally died (like Silena or other people I cannot mention without spoiling the story)._

 _4\. The Instinct Leo keeps mentioning is a secret. What causes it will not be told until later (maybe this story or the next or it may not be shared until the last story. It's still undetermined)_

 _The trivia is Harry Potter this time!_

 ** _Trivia (HARRY POTTER):_**

 ** _What year did the Epilogue take place? (In other words, what year did Albus Potter begin Hogwarts?)_**


	10. The Aphrodite Kids (But Who's Piper?)

_This is a shorter chapter because it's more of a filler chapter, although it does have a vital part in it._

 _I've included Mitchell and Lacy in this chapter. They don't have a huge part, but they do trigger one of Leo's important flashbacks. I might include them in a battle at some point, but that's still undetermined._

 ** _Disclaimer: I own nothing_**

* * *

Leo had lived in New York once before camp, but that had been years ago, and he'd forgotten how... unique the state was.

Seriously, Percy and Leo just appeared out of no where in Central Park, hailed a taxi cab, and strolled through the streets of New York with a Hellhound on their heels and no one even gave them a weird look. Well, except for one kid, but that's probably because he recognized Leo from that new report a few weeks ago (he hadn't _meant_ to cause a horrible traffic jam, but when the Stoll brothers and Leo Valdez leave camp together, bad things happen).

Percy called Annabeth, and while he talked to her, Leo watched Mrs. O'Leary bound up and down the street. Every time a cop walked by, he ducked behind a nearby car because after the incident that occurred last time Leo lived in New York... haha, let's just say every cop in New York knew Leo by this point.

It was late afternoon when the taxi dropped the two demigods at the Empire State Building. Mrs. O'Leary dashed up and down Fifth Avenue, licking cabs and sniffing hot dog carts. Nobody seemed to notice her, although people did swerve away and look confused when she came close.

Percy whistled for her to heel as three white vans pulled up to the curb. They said Delphi Strawberry Service, which was the cover name for Camp Half-Blood.

The first van was driven by Argus, the many-eyed (Leo loved the tease him about that) security chief. The other two were driven by harpies, who are basically demonic human/chicken hybrids with bad attitudes. Leo tried not to think about the time he and Alexander had been caught outside after curfew; if things came to worst, the harpies could probably be a two person army.

The doors slid open. A bunch of campers climbed out, some of them looking a little green from the long drive. Leo recognized a few: Silena Beauregard (who nodded at him when she caught his eye), the Stoll brothers, Michael Yew, Leo's siblings, Katie Gardner, and Annabeth, along with most of their siblings.

Chiron exited out of the van last. His horse half was compacted into his magic wheelchair, so he used the handicap lift.

Leo vaguely wondered where the Ares cabin was, but he had a feeling Clarrise was angry at Percy about something and her pride was getting in the way of oh, i don't know, _saving the world._

Leo and Clarrise actually got along fairly well, but Leo didn't always like her attitude.

Forty campers against over a thousand enemies. Leo tried not to think about how uneven that was.

Annabeth came up to Percy. She was dressed in black camouflage with her Celestial bronze knife strapped to her arm and her laptop bag slung over her shoulder—ready for stabbing or surfing the Internet, whichever came first.

Percy was practically drooling. If they survived this war, Operation Percabeth was a go.

She frowned. "What is it?"

"What's what?" Percy asked.

"You're looking at me funny."

"It's, uh, nothing." Percy responded, which was obviously a lie, and turned to the rest of the group. "Thanks for coming, everybody. Chiron, after you."

Chiron shook his head. "I came to wish you luck, my boy. But I make it a point never to visit Olympus unless I am summoned."

"But you're our leader."

He smiled. "I am your trainer, your teacher. That is not the same as being your leader. I will go gather what allies I can. It may not be too late to convince my brother centaurs to help. Meanwhile, you called the campers here, Percy. You are the leader."

 _No pressure_ , Leo thought, sarcastically.

Percy took a deep breath. "Okay, like I told Annabeth on the phone, something bad is going to happen by tonight. Some kind of trap. We've got to get an audience with Zeus and convince him to defend the city. Remember, we can't take no for an answer."

Percy asked Argus to watch Mrs. O'Leary, which neither of them looked happy about.

Chiron shook Percy's hand. "You'll do well, Percy. Just remember your strengths and beware your weaknesses."

Leo was reminded of Achilles's speech before Percy took a bath in the Styx, but he didn't say anything. Percy looked nervous enough.

Percy nodded and tried to give Chiron a somewhat confident smile.

"Let's go," he told the campers.

A security guard was sitting behind the desk in the lobby, reading a big black book with a flower on the cover. He glanced up when the demigods all filed in with the weapons and armor clanking. "School group? We're about to close up."

"No," Percy said. "Six-hundredth floor."

Leo could still not believe there was a six-hundredth floor, and if Olympus was six hundred, then what were floors 103-5,999? (Seriously, has no one else ever wondered that?)

The security guard checked the demigods out. His eyes were pale blue and his head was completely bald. He seemed to notice the weapons, but maybe that was why he was reluctant. After all, Leo wouldn't let forty kids with sharp, pointy objects into _anywhere_.

"There is no six-hundredth floor, kid." He said it like it was a required line he didn't believe. "Move along."

Percy leaned across the desk. "Forty demigods attract an awful lot of monsters. You really want us hanging out in your lobby?"

He thought about that. Then he hit a buzzer and the security gate swung open.

"Make it quick."

"You don't want us going through the metal detectors," Percy added.

That would be awkward. Although, Leo did once manage to get through a metal detector with six metal tools strapped to his stomach (long story).

"Um, no," he agreed. "Elevator on the right. I guess you know the way."

Percy tossed him a golden drachma and the demigods marched on through.

Leo was beyond nervous (of course he was; they were getting ready to fight a war) until he felt someone lightly elbow him.

He turned and smiled at Beckendorf.

Another hand landed on his shoulder.

"We've got your back, little brother," Alexander whispered.

Leo nodded. "Thanks."

"No need to thank me. We're brothers," Alexander reaponded, repeating the words Leo had told him during the Battle of the Labyrinth almost a year ago.

It took two trips to get everybody up in the elevator. Leo, Alexander, and Beckendorf went with the first group.

They were forced to endure a long elevator ride, listening to an old disco song, before the door finally dinged. In front of them, a path of floating stones led through the clouds up to Mount Olympus, hovering six thousand feet over Manhattan.

Leo felt his jaw drop.

The mansions glittered gold and white against the sides of the mountain. Gardens bloomed on a hundred terraces. Scented smoke rose from braziers that lined the winding streets. And right at the top of the snow-capped crest rose the main palace of the gods. The entire place looked so amazing and enchanting and majestic, but it was utterly silent. Not one sound drifted through the air until the demigods moved, and their weapons clanged.

The second group arrived, and they made their way across the sky bridge into the streets of Olympus. The shops were closed. The parks were empty. A couple of Muses sat on a bench strumming flaming lyres, but their hearts didn't seem to be in it. A lone Cyclops swept the street with an uprooted oak tree. Someone spotted the demigods from a balcony and ducked inside, closing his shutters.

They passed under a big marble archway with two statues- one was tall man with a lightning bolt that could only be Zeus, and the other...

Leo frowned. Tia Callida?

She was no longer dressed in black, and there was no veil covering her face, but it was definitely her.

Annabeth made a face at the female statue.

"Hate her," she muttered.

"Has she been cursing you or something?" Percy asked.

"Just little stuff so far," she said. "Her sacred animal is the cow, right?"

"Right."

"So she sends cows after me."

Percy tried and failed to not smile. "Cows? In San Francisco?"

"Oh, yeah. Usually I don't see them, but the cows leave me little presents all over the place—in our backyard, on the sidewalk, in the school hallways. I have to be careful where I step."

"Who is she?" Leo asked.

"Hera, queen of the gods," Percy answered.

"She looks like my old babysitter," Leo said, scrutinizing the statue.

"Really?" Alexander said.

"Yeah. She let me play with knives once, and she kept saying, 'a good hero must know his knives well'. I had a weird childhood."

"Obviously," Beckendorf agreed, although he still looked nervous about the _playing with knives_ thing.

Before anyone else could reply, a voice rang out from the crowd behind them.

"Look!" The Dionysis kid (Pollux?) cried, pointing toward the horizon. "What is that?"

Everyone froze. Blue lights were streaking across the evening sky toward Olympus like tiny comets. They seemed to be coming from all over the city, heading straight toward the mountain. As they got close, they fizzled out. The demigods watched them for several minutes and they didn't seem to do any damage, but still, it was strange. And maybe intimidating.

"Like infrared scopes," Michael Yew muttered. "We're being targeted."

"Let's get to the palace," Percy said.

No one was guarding the hall of the gods, which seemed kind of weird to Leo. The gold-and-silver doors stood wide open. The footsteps of forty half bloods echoed as they strolled into the throne room.

The place was huge! Leo reckoned that this single room was as big as his foster mother Teresa's house (and trust me, that place was ginormous. Not that Leo saw much of it; he was usually locked in his room) High above, the blue ceiling glittered with constellations. Twelve giant empty thrones stood in a U around a hearth. In one corner, a house-size globe of water hovered in the air, and inside swam... a cow?

"Moooo!" he said happily, turning in a circle.

A swimming cow. Why not?

"Hey, man," Percy said, smiling. "They treating you okay?"

"Mooo," the cow answered.

Leo had seen weirder things in the past _hour_ , so he decided not to question it.

They walked toward the thrones, and a woman's voice said, "Hello again, Percy Jackson. You and your friends are welcome."

Hestia stood by the hearth, poking the flames with a stick. She wore the same kind of simple brown dress as she had before, but she was a grown woman now.

Percy and Leo bowed. "Lady Hestia," They greeted.

Everyone else followed their example.

Hestia regarded Percy with her red glowing eyes. "I see you went through with your plan. You bear the curse of Achilles."

The other campers started muttering among themselves: What did she say? What about Achilles?

"You must be careful," Hestia warned him. "You gained much on your journey. But you are still blind to the most important truth. Perhaps a glimpse is in order."

Annabeth whispered, "Um . . . what is she talking about?"

A second later, Percy collapsed, and Annabeth and Leo barely caught him before he hit the floor.

"Percy! What happened?" Annabeth demanded.

"Did . . . did you see that?" Percy asked.

"See what?"

He's having visions, too? Leo wondered, but he didn't ask. Not yet. Not in front of forty other people.

"How long was I out?" Percy muttered.

Annabeth knit her eyebrows. "Percy, you weren't out at all. You just looked at Hestia for like one second and collapsed."

"Um, Lady Hestia," Percy said, changing the subject, "we've come on urgent business. We need to see—"

"We know what you need," a man's voice said.

A god shimmered into existence next to Hestia. He looked to be about twenty-five, with curly salt-and-pepper hair and elfish features. He wore a military pilot's flight suit, with tiny bird's wings fluttering on his helmet and his black leather boots. In the crook of his arm was a long staff entwined with two living serpents.

"I will leave you now," Hestia said. She bowed to the person (who, judging by the staff, was Hermes) and disappeared into smoke.

Wait. Hermes is a god, and this god does not look happy.

Leo took an unconscious step backward.

"Hello, Percy."

Percy bowed awkwardly. "Lord Hermes."

 _Oh, sure,_ a voice hissed in Leo's head. _Don't say hi to us. We're just reptiles._

 _George_ , a female voice scolded. _Be polite._

Leo stared at the snakes wrapped around Hermes's staff.

A swimming cow. Talking snakes. What's next- a flying pig?

Don't answer that.

"Hello, George," Percy said. "Hey, Martha."

 _Did you bring us a rat?_ George asked.

 _George, stop it_ , Martha said. _He's busy!_

 _Too busy for rats?_ George said. _That's just sad._

"Um, Hermes," Percy said. "We need to talk to Zeus. It's important."

Hermes's eyes were steely cold. "I am his messenger. May I take a message?"

This was not part of the plan, Leo thought. Plan B... they didn't have a plan B.

When in doubt, improvise.

Luckily, Leo didn't have to do the improvising.

"You guys," Percy said. "Why don't you do a sweep of the city? Check the defenses. See who's left in Olympus. Meet Annabeth and me back here in thirty minutes."

Silena frowned. "But—"

"That's a good idea," Annabeth said. "Connor and Travis, you two lead."

Leo wondered if Annabeth was thinking clearly when she said that, but then he remembered: Hermes was the father of Travis and Connor Stoll.

"We're on it!" Travis said. They herded everyone out of throne room with Leo being one of the last ones to leave.

Hermes didn't look happy. He hoped Percy and Annabeth would leave that throne room alive.

* * *

Travis and Connor split the forty demigods into ten group of four (Olympus was a huge place, so they'd need several small groups).

At some point, Leo got seperated from Beckendorf and Alexander and wound up in a group with three kids he didn't know.

"What are your names?" Leo asked.

"I'm Mitchell," an impossibly handsome boy said. "From Aphrodite."

"Lacy!" The blonde girl chirped. "Also from Aphrodite."

"Malcom," the blonde boy answered. "From Athena."

"I'm Le-"

Mitchell's laugh interrupted him. "Everyone knows who you are. The kid who showed up out of nowhere in the Labyrinth, and now, everyone knows you because of, uh-"

"My kidnapping?" Leo suggested.

"Yeah," Mitchell said, awkwardly.

"You don't have to avoid the topic. Really, it's fine. My kidnapping just gives me another reason to kick the butts of Kronos and his allies."

Lacy giggled, and Mitchell smiled. Malcom managed a tiny grin, but he was just like Annabeth: serious until you got to know him.

Aphrodite.

The vision hit Leo out of nowhere (just like all the others).

 _She was beautiful in a not-showy kind of way. She had choppy hair and multicolored eyes, and she wore jeans and a tank top, but even without make up or designer clothes, she was pretty._

 _And she was crying._

 _"You're like a brother to me, Leo," she sobbed._

 _"I love you more than anything, Pipes," he murmured. "I won't come back, but I'll make sure to bring Gaea down with me."_

 _She wouldn't let go of his hand, so Clarrise wrenched her away, holding her in a strong hold as she struggled to reach him, to stop him._

 _But she can't stop him. Leo has a job to do._

 _It's time to give Dirt Lady a piece of her own medicine._

"It's been twenty-five minutes. We should probably start heading back," Malcom's voice broke through the vision.

Leo hadn't met her before, but somehow, he knew her.

Piper. Daughter of Aphrodite.

* * *

 _What'd you think? This chapter was a filler chapter, but that vision is very important (HINT: it has something to do with why and how Leo was thrown back in time)._

 _Review!_

 ** _Trivia (PJO):_**

 **What is the name of Nico Di Angelo's French zombie chauffeur?**


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